The last 10 days of Robbie Shapiro
by Djuro
Summary: 15 years after they all graduated, Robbie returns to LA to visit and change the life of his eight closest high school friends before finishing his plan and ending his life. He visits Sinjin and his sister. Andre and Tori, Beck and Jade and even Trina. But what happens when he visits Cat again after 15 years? Rated M for content. Read and Review.
1. Day 1

The last 10 days of Robbie Shapiro

A white BMW parked next to an old, one story building. The engine got turned off as the door opened and a man dressed in a suit got out of the car. He shut the door and locked it with a single button on his keys. He looked around, remembering the neighborhood.

"Seems like nothing changed in the last fifteen years." He said to himself as he opened the small gate and walked through. He looked over at the house, sad at how bad it looked since he had been here the last time. Some of the windows were broken, the fence needed fixing, the balcony rail was everything but safe and it could use a paintjob too. He could only guess that the roof must be leaking too.

He stepped forward and knocked on the door before he took another step back. He heard someone walk what he assumed down the steps as the door opened and revealed the owner of the house.

"Yes?" The slim, blond man asked as he looked at who was visiting him.

"I see you haven't changed much Sinjin. Still rocking the blond fro, the glasses and the shirt over t-shirt." The man said with a small smile.

"Robbie? Robbie Shapiro?" Sinjin stuttered, not believing who he was seeing.

"Nice to see you man." Rob said as he stepped forward and gave his old high school friend a hug.

"I didn't recognize you. You changed." Sinjin said as they separated.

"I hear that a lot. Lost the glasses and straightened my hair." Robbie told him.

"Please, come in." Sinjin said as he stepped aside and motioned into the hallway. Robbie walked inside, looking at the house and how desperate it was for a make over. The paint was slowly falling from the walls and the furniture seemed old. He realized it was the same that had been there since he had left. "What brings you to LA?" Sinjin asked as he sat down on a chair next to the dinner table.

"Felt homesick after all those years and decided to come and visit my old town. I heard you were still living here and decided to come and say hello." Robbie said.

"Can I offer you something?" Sinjin asked, ready to get up, but Robbie only shook his head no, making Sinjin sit back down.

"No, thanks. It's nice that you still live in your old family house. I can't believe I'm here again. It's been a while."

"Fifteen years since we graduated. But I don't really live here because I want to. I don't really have a choice." Sinjin said, the tone in his voice saddening and his eyes looking down at his hands.

"You live here by yourself?"

"No. Courtney lives with me."

"Really? Where is she? I haven't seen her in forever." Rob asked, at which Sinjin let out a defeated, sad chuckle.

"She's in the hospital right now." He said.

"In the hospital?" Robbie repeated in disbelief, at which Sinjin only nodded silently. "What happened?"

"Well, we both live here and have some okay jobs. The money isn't that great, but we make it from the beginning of the month to the end. I work in the local theater and help them set up the stage and with the technical stuff." Sinjin explained.

"Just like in school."

"Yeah. Just like back then." Sinjin nodded with a small laugh and smile at the memory. "But Courtney started feeling bad and it got worse from day to day. She still tried to work through the pain, at least that's what she said. She knew that we needed the money and just clenched her teeth together and ignored it as long as she could. But she broke down a while ago at work. They got her to the hospital and there we found out that both her kidneys had stopped working."

"Oh god. That's horrible. How is she?" Rob asked.

"Not so good. She needs a donor, and there are none for now." Sinjin explained.

"Can't you give your kidney?" Rob asked.

"I tried, but her body rejected it. Now we can only hope and pray that another one will come in time. But even if it happens, if they find one, we don't have enough money for the surgery. Neither she nor I have insurances and all our savings to fix the house have gone into her hospital bills. I don't know what to do now." Sinjin said as his hands began trembling. Robbie looked at his broken friend and the situation he was in. He knew how close he and Courtney always were, and to see her go through this and him not being able to do anything must be breaking his heart.

"Let's go to the hospital. I want to see her." Robbie said as he got up.

"Uhm, okay. Sure." Sinjin said as he got up himself and grabbed his jacket. They walked outside towards Robbie's car.

"That's your car?" Sinjin asked wide eyed.

"Mhm. Got it last year. Looks good, doesn't it?" Robbie asked with a small smirk. Sinjin only nodded.

Both got into the car as Robbie started the engine and they drove of towards the hospital. They arrived there a few minutes later, since it wasn't to far away from where Sinjin lived.

They got out of the car and walked towards the hospital entrance. They got into the elevator where Sinjin pushed the button for the eight floor. They were the only ones in the elevator, and Robbie noticed how Sinjin only grew more nervous. When they arrived at the eight floor, Sinjin led him to one of the rooms in which were three beds. When they walked towards the last one, Robbie's heart nearly broke when he saw the formerly weird girl from high school. Her hair was shorter than he remembered, reaching now barely to her shoulder. The already thin girl was now even thinner. Her face was pale and looked tired. And the view of all those IV's and needles in her body were only worsening it for him.

"Hey, sis. Look who came to visit you." Sinjin said as he sat down next to her and gently stroked her hair. She looked at him and then at Robbie. After a few moments, her eyes grew a bit wider as she seemed to realize who was standing in front of her.

"Robbie?" She said in a weak voice.

"Hey Courtney." He said as he leaned down and gave her a hug. She wrapped her skinny arms around his neck before both let go a few moments later. "I like what you've done with your hair." Robbie told her with a small smile. She smiled back shyly.

"Thank you. I didn't expect to see you." Courtney said with a little effort.

"I came to visit some old friends. Of course I would visit you too." Robbie said, the small, sympathetic smile never leaving his lips.

"Thank you for coming. I only wish you didn't have to see me this way." Courtney said sadly.

"Don't apologize. You will get better. Don't worry." Robbie said. Courtney smiled a sad smile at his words while Sinjin had trouble keeping it together.

"I hope you are right." She said, her voice ready to break.

"I'll leave you two alone for a moment. I'll be back in a few minutes." Robbie said as he walked out of the room and towards the nurse.

"Hello, where is Courtney's doctor?" He asked. The nurse looked at him in confusion before she pointed towards a room at the end of the hall.

"Thanks." He said before walking towards it and knocking twice.

"Come in." He heard a voice yell from inside. "How can I help you sir." The doctor in his late forties asked as he was looking through some files.

"Hello. My name is Robert Shapiro. I'm a friend of Courtney's." He said as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"Ah, yes. Courtney. Precious lady." The doctor said as he put away his files and gave Robbie his full attention.

"What can you tell me about her situation?" Robbie asked.

"Well, both her kidneys gave out a year ago and she has been struggling ever since. She worked through it instead of coming here immediately and it only worsened everything. Her body is weak and if we don't find a donor soon it will be too late for her." The doctor explained.

"Is it so hard to find a donor?"

"It is. But she also has a rare blood type, which makes things only harder for us. Her brother donated his own kidney, but her body rejected it because of wrong medication." The doctor explained.

"You gave her wrong medication?"

"We didn't know. Nobody could have predicted her body reacting that way. Now we know where we made our mistake and if we find a donor, I am absolutely positive that she would make a full recovery."

Robbie smiled a small smile at the news. He took an envelope out of the pocket in his jacked and handed it to the doctor who opened it and took out some papers. He read them through as Robbie took out a card out of his wallet and placed it on the table.

"Those are my medical files and here is my donor card. My blood type matches hers. You have my full medical history. I don't have any diseases, health problems or anything. I never did drugs and my family does not have any history with health issues." Robbie explained. "Also, I will pay the full cost of the surgery and her hospital bills."

The doctor looked at the files and then at Robbie in pure disbelief.

"Sir, I've been working here for the last twenty years, and I've never seen something like this happen. A-are you sure?" The doctor asked.

"I don't know what we are waiting for. Can you do the surgery now? I'm a bit stressed with time." Rob said.

The doctor got up and motioned towards the door. "Please. Let's not waste time." He said as both men walked out. After a few more checks and preparations, Courtney and Sinjin were more then surprised to find out about the news. Sinjin broke down in tears of joy while Courtney only went numb in shock and surprise.

The surgery lasted four hours and was a success. They successfully transplanted one of Robbie's kidneys into Courtney. Courtney was brought back into her room, where Sinjin was waiting. Nothing could have removed that smile from his face when the doctor told him that the surgery was a success. Nothing would have removed the disbelief in his face when the doctor told him that the surgery and the hospital bills were also taken care off.

The evening came quick as Robbie signed his release papers and took care of all the bills. The doctor thanked him again as Robbie departed despite the doctor telling him to stay overnight just to be sure. He walked towards his car and got inside before driving off towards the familiar direction.

He got out of his car a few minutes later and took out a briefcase out of the trunk of his car before he walked towards Sinjin's house and knocked again. A few moments later the door opened and before he knew, two arms were wrapped around his body.

"T-thank you. Thank you so much." Sinjin cried out. Robbie felt his scar burn, but didn't bother. It was nothing compared to the last year. This little pain was something he didn't even feel.

"Don't thank me. Come on, I have something to tell you." He said as both walked inside and sitting down on the same table as the day before.

"I'll get straight to the point. I'm the owner of Puppet-masters studios." Robbie said.

"W-what? That is your studio?" Sinjin asked in shock, remembering all the successful movies they brought out in the last decade.

"It is. And I got a job offer for you and Courtney. The vice-president of my company needs a new secretary, and we need a new head for the props and stage department. So if you and your sisters are interested, call this number." Robbie said as he handed Sinjin a card and two small books. "Here are the contracts. The man you can call will let you know everything else. I would be really happy if you accept." He explained as Sinjin looked at his contract, his hands beginning to shake in disbelief while his expression was a mixture of joy and shock.

"R-Robbie. W-w-why are you doing this?" Sinjin asked in a shaky voice. Robbie only smiled again.

"I'm just helping an old friend out. I have to go now. I'll check on you and your sister soon." Rob said as he got up and offered his hand. Sinjin gladly shook it as Robbie walked back towards his car.

He got inside and smiled up, glad that his plan worked. He drove towards his hotel, wanting to catch at least a little sleep before visiting some friends again.


	2. Day 2

_Robbie was walking through a park with a blonde woman in his hand. Both were smiling and joking around, enjoying the beautiful spring night. _

"_We haven't been here for two years." The blonde woman said as she looked up at the night sky before looking back at him. _

"_I work a lot, baby. I work a lot so I can make you happy." He told her. _

_Suddenly he was in a hospital room, watching the doctors surround the bed his wife was lying in. Robbie tied to move, to walk towards her, but he couldn't. He only felt his tears run down his cheek as the only sound that filled his ear was the one of the beeps dying into a flatline. _

A loud knock was heard as Robbie woke up. He looked at his cell phone and read that it was 8 AM. He slowly got up, letting out a load groan at how much his scar from the surgery hurt. When he heard the knock again, he was already annoyed.

"I'm on my way!" He yelled as he got up and walked towards the door. He opened it and walked away, knowing already who it was.

"You told me 8 AM. Don't be mad at me." He heard someone say behind him.

"Yeah, yeah. Did you bring what I asked you to bring?" Robbie asked as he sat back down on his bed and leaned on the wall behind it.

"Here." The man said as he put a suitcase next to Robbie while he sat on one of the chairs in the room.

"Thanks." Robbie said with a sigh.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked as Robbie looked at him. "I mean, you gave the brother and sister a contract each, you spent a hundred and twenty grand on hospital bills and you gave a kidney for one of them. What's next Rob? Are you going to continue your crazy plan or did you come back to your senses finally?" The man asked him.

"I told you what I am doing and I told you why I am doing it. And you promised me…" Rob began, but the man interrupted.

"I know what I promised you. I promised you I would help you go through with your plan. Yes, you made me promise you that. But you know what? I hate your final part of it!" he yelled the final part before he stood up and began pacing around.

"Don't do this now." Robbie only told him in a low voice.

"Don't do this now…" he repeated in a mocking voice before his pacing stopped and he let out a loud sigh. "Look man. I know you miss her. I know you blame yourself. But you don't have to pull through with this." He told him. "I've known you for fifteen years and I'm begging you not to do this."

"Nine days left, Adam. I have nine days left. And my mind is set. We talked about this so often; don't make it worse now when it won't change anything." Robbie told him in a calm voice. He heard Adam exhale loudly, the tension from the air disappearing.

"And I can't do anything to change your mind?" Adam asked in a calm, hopeless voice.

"No. So please, just do what you promised me." Robbie told him.

"Okay. Call me if you need something. Good luck." Adam said as he opened the door and walked out of the room.

Robbie got off his bed and walked into the bathroom. He took of his shorts and stepped into the shower as he let the hot water flow. He leaned on the walls with his forearms and let his head sink. He remembered his wife again, how she would always sneak up on him and join him in the shower. How playful she was with everything and yet so strong when times got bad. How she forgave and tolerated his obsession with his job and understood why he didn't have much time to spend with her. But now he wishes he had. He wished he had spent every minute with her instead of burying himself and his mind into work. He wished he didn't try to ignore reality. He wished he had been stronger.

He got out of the shower after a few minutes and walked towards his case. He took out a red shirt and black pants which he put on after drying himself off. He took his black coat and suitcase and walked to his car. His watch read 8:45 as he made his way towards the city again.

Half an hour later he parked his car in front of a small building. He looked at it and then back at the notebook, confirming the address. He nodded to himself and let out a long exhale before he got out of the car and walked into the building. A woman in her mid fifties was sitting behind a large desk on the ground floor. Robbie walked over to the desk, although he already knew where he was going.

"Good day, sir. How can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Good day. I'm looking Mr. Harris' office."

"Hold on, please." She said as she typed something in her PC. "12th floor, room 182." She said with a smile.

"Thank you." Robbie said before he walked towards the elevator and pressed for the 12th floor. After two minutes, the elevator finally came to a halt as the doors opened and he got out. He immediately saw the door he was looking for, so he went there and knocked.

"Come in." He heard the familiar voice, which made him smile up a little bit. He opened the door to see Andre standing in front of the large glass wall, looking at the city while talking to someone on the phone. Robbie noticed that Andre hadn't changed his style since high school. He still had his trademark locks and still looked as athletic as ever.

"Look, I'll call you back… Okay… Bye…" He finished as he placed the phone in his pocket and turned around. "How can I he… Robbie?" Andre froze on the spot, not having expected him of all people.

"Good, you still remember me." Robbie said with a smirk before he found himself in a bear hug as Andre lifted him off the floor.

"It's so good to see you again." He said as he lowered him to the floor. "It's nice that you put some muscle on that boney butt of yours. You look great, man." Andre said with a wide smile on his face.

"I'm keeping in shape. Good to see you still do yourself." Robbie joked.

"Come on, sit down." Andre motioned him towards the chair in front of his desk. Robbie did so gladly. "What bring you to LA? I haven't heard from you since my wedding."

"I know, I know, but I've been up in work the whole time. But now that I got some time off I decided to come back to LA and when I heard that you are still here, I decided to pay you a visit. I've already seen Sinjin."

"How is he? I heard from someone that something happened to Courtney. Is that true?" Andre asked.

"He's fine. Her kidney's stopped working and she got ill. Luckily they found a donor yesterday." Robbie explained.

"Wow, I had no idea. I should call him sometimes, just to see if he's alright. And how lucky must she be with that donor?"

"Well, sometimes good things have to happen." Robbie said.

"Thank god they do." Andre nodded in agreement.

"So this is your business?" Robbie asked, looking around the office.

"Yeah. It used to be bigger until two years ago." Andre said, his mood immediately dropping.

"Why? What happened?"

"You know that since Hollywood Arts I always wanted my life to be music. So once I graduated and finished college, I opened my own label. And everything was doing great for a while. I got some great clients, they scored a couple of hits and some even managed to make gold and some even platinum. But two years ago, I found someone. A young guy who reminded me of myself. He had so much talent, and I decided to invest in him. Unfortunately, that was my big mistake."

"Why was it a mistake? Did someone buy him away or?" Robbie asked, but Andre only shook his head no.

"After I invested both time and a small fortune into him, he got arrested for drugs."

"Oh man…"

"My words exactly. I've sent him to rehab, paid for it, tried to help him get away from that stuff. But a little more then a year ago, they found him in his apartment. He overdosed on a heroin and cocaine mix. I think they call that a speedball or something. I've borrowed money from the banks and some other places, trying to fix the damage that did to us, but it didn't work. Now I owe both the banks and the IRS. I don't have the money to pay them back. I don't have the money to make a new star and maybe release something that could make that money. Now I'm trying to get anything from here so that we don't lose our house." Andre explained in a voice filled with pain.

"How much do you owe them?" Robbie asked. Andre looked at him and let out a sigh.

"Around half a mil."

"Wow."

"Amen to that. I'm clawing and scratching right now for money every month to pay them back. I won't let one mistake in my life destroy my dream." Andre said with a small smile. His determination wasn't its usual. He didn't seem as secure as he always had been about his projects.

"I'm sure you'll find a way out of this. Who would if not you?"

"Thanks, man."

"How's Tori?" Robbie asked, noticing Andre's mood getting better the moment he thought of her.

"At home 7 months pregnant." Andre said with a smile.

"Congratulations. I see you are doing what you are supposed to do with your wife then." Robbie said with a smile, earning a laugh from Andre.

"There I make no mistakes, don't worry." Andre said. "It's so good to see you man. How's your life?" Andre asked, and Robbie had to focus not to break his façade.

"It's alright. Working all the time. Would you mind if I go and see how Tori is doing?" Robbie asked, hoping to evade the topic.

"Sure. She's at home. We still have our old address. I'm sure she will be happy to see you."

"Then I'll go visit her. I'm in LA for a week at least, so I'll come by again." Robbie explained.

"You are always welcome." Andre said as both got up and shook hands.

Robbie walked out of Andre's office and headed out to his car. He drove to the familiar location, happy that LA really didn't change much in the last few years. He still knew the town like the palm of his hand.

He parked in front of the two story house and shut off his engine. He reached for something in the glove box and exited the car after he took it. He walked towards the house and knocked on the door. After nobody answered, he slowly opened it and walked inside.

"Hold on! I'll be right there!" He heard Tori yell. He leaned on the wall and waited for her to come downstairs.

"Who is it?" Tori asked as she walked by the corner, but her question seemed answered when her eyes grew wide once they caught the former shy, weird Jewish boy standing there.

"Robbie!" She basically yelled before running towards him and wrapping both arms around his neck. He hugged her back, her large belly now giving her a little more volume.

"Hey there." He said as both pulled back. She still looked the same, her cheekbones standing out, her brown eyes having that light shine about them and her voice having that same strength it always had. "Tori, you are glowing." He said with a smile, happy to see her again.

"Well, you look handsome yourself, Shapiro." She said with a wide smile. "I haven't seen you in years. What brings you back to LA?" She asked, taking his hand and leading him to the couch.

"Some time off and my wish to see some old friends." Robbie answered as he handed her the small box. "I know your birthday was two weeks ago. Sorry I'm late."

"Robbie! You shouldn't have." She said as she opened it and took out the diamond earrings.

"Wow, those are beautiful. Thank you." She told him with a smile. Both sat down and began talking, mostly about the old times and sharing some memories from Hollywood Arts.

"Have you visited anyone else?" Tori asked.

"I've already seen Andre and Sinjin."

"I heard that Courtney is better! Cat told me that she found a donor yesterday and that she already feels better. Now I see you. Finally some good news." Tori said. Robbie's body stiffened up when Tori mentioned Cat.

"Why, were there only bad ones before?" Robbie asked.

"A lot. With Andre's label on the verge of going bankrupt, us losing our house and Trina. All that stress took its toll on me I guess." She said.

"Well, I'm sure things will be better now. You two are having a baby, and we both know that Andre will get a grip on everything. He always did." Robbie reassured her.

"I'm glad about the baby, you can't imagine. The first four months scared the hell out of me." Tori admitted.

"Why? Did you two not want a child yet?" Robbie asked.

"The opposite. We wanted one for a while now, but all that stress… I had two miscarriages already." Tori said as she put both hands on her stomach, smiling slightly when she felt the baby kick.

"I'm so sorry." Robbie said as he placed his hand on hers.

"It's okay. Maybe now things really will get better. I only hope that we will still have a roof over our head once the baby gets born." Tori said. Robbie noticed that she was on the verge of tears now.

"Hey, listen to me. Things will get better. And you two won't end up on the streets. Don't worry." Robbie told her. She smiled and nodded.

"You are right. I need to stay positive. Thank you." Tori said as she gave him a warm smile.

"I'll come see you again. I have to go now. There is something I need to take care off." He told her.

"How long will you be in LA?" She asked him.

"At least a week."

"Don't you leave without visiting us again!" She told him.

"I won't, I promise." He said as he gave her another hug and walked out of the house into his car.

He opened his suitcase on the passenger's seat and took out a file. He checked everything again before driving off, knowing he would have a full day of work with the banks and the IRS.


	3. Day 3

Just as the clock was to strike 7:30 and the alarm began screeching, it ended as Robbie hit the button to silence it. He hadn't slept for a single minute, rather taking fatigue and migraines over another one of those dreams he always had.

He threw the blanket off of himself and walked into the bathroom. He took the shaving cream and put in on his face evenly before shaving off his 5oclock shadow he had grown in the last two days. After he was done, he leaned down and splashed water onto his face a few times both to clean himself up and fully wake up. When he looked back up, he froze on the spot. He saw his wife standing right behind him. She was smiling as she always did, even in the earliest mornings, even in the worst days. A large smile formed on his lips, knowing that he was awake and that she was standing right there.

"Annie!" He gasped as he turned around, the smile, the happiness, the hope disappearing the moment he realized that no one else was there with him. He looked around again, but she wasn't there. He turned back to face the mirror, to see if she would come back; to hope that she would be there again. But she wasn't. Anger overcame him as his fist connected with the mirror, shattering in into pieces. He lowered his head while he let his tears run down freely. He raised his hand to see the few small cuts on them, thankfully no bigger ones. He moved his hand away once his tears began falling onto it and washed the blood off. The bleeding stopped not too long later.

He walked out of the bathroom and took his clothes of off the chair. He dressed again and grabbed his suitcase before heading out of his room again.

A few minutes later he parked in front of a coffee shop, deciding that a bit of caffeine could only do well after a sleepless night. He parked his BMW across the street and got out as he proceeded to walk into the still empty place. He sat down on one of the tables and took the newspapers that were on them. He read the headlines as the waitress walked over to him, ready to take his order. After ordering both a large coffee and some breakfast, reading the whole papers and rethinking how he should continue with his plans and schemes, he left the money on the table and walked out. But instead of going to his car, he walked past it towards a large, grey building that had seen better days.

When he saw that there was no elevator, he let out an annoyed sigh as he made took the stairway. At the fourth floor, he heard some yelling. He looked down at his watch, wondering who would be so loud this early, but his question got answered once he reached the fifth floor.

"I don't care what reasons you give me. You owe six months of rent and I'm tired of your excuses and of waiting anymore. I tried to be nice, I tried to be patient, but this is ridiculous." An older man said to the lady who still held her crying daughter in her hand.

"Mr. Oswald, please give us more time. My husband lost his job and my salary is not nearly enough for all our expenses. I can't let my two kids starve, can I?" The woman asked.

"I don't care about you or your husband or those two brats you brought into this world. You have until six to get your things and get out of my apartment or I wall call the police and force you out of it!" The man yelled angrily.

"B-but where should we go?" She asked in a shaky voice, both desperate to figure out this whole ordeal and keep her daughter from crying even bore.

"I don't care! You can sleep under the goddamn bridge as far as I'm concerned. But I want you, your husband and your two stupid, fu-" he began, but never finished that sentence thanks to Robbie.

"That's enough." He yelled as he stepped towards them. He looked at the woman who hugged her daughter as close as she could. "How much rent do they own?" Robbie asked.

"They own me six months of 800 dollars." The man said. Robbie grabbed into his pocket and pulled out an envelope out of which he took the money.

"Here is five grand. Keep the change." He told him as he put the money in his hand.

"Sir, you don't have to…" the woman began, but Robbie motioned her not to even start arguing with him.

"Now let me tell you something, sir. I don't care how old you are. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you have accomplished in your lifetime. You don't talk to a woman like that, especially not when her child is around." Robbie said with an angry voice.

"That woman owed me…" he began, but Robbie didn't want to hear it.

"That woman owes you nothing. Not anymore. Listen to me and listen to me good. If I ever hear from anyone anywhere that you are threatening someone like this, I will buy your house, flat, whatever you have, and I will have it torn down right in front of your eyes so you can see how it is to spend some time on the streets. Now get out of my sight!"

The old didn't reply, stunned by the words of the much younger man. He wanted to believe that the man in a suit was bluffing, but after seemingly giving away five thousand dollars like that for a person he probably didn't even know, his words weren't that hard to believe. After a moment, he walked away mumbling something to himself.

"Thank you. I promise I will pay you back as soon as…" the woman began, but when Robbie turned around to face her, her eyes grew wide while her words got stuck in her throat. It was the first time she actually looked at his face, and it was when she realized who was standing in front of her. "Robbie?" She asked in a small voice, not able to believe her own eyes.

"Hi Jade. It's been a while." Robbie said as he gave her a warm smile. His smile grew even wider when Jade still hadn't uttered a single word since she realized who he was. "Come on, say something."

"I-I-I… I didn't expect to see you." She said honestly.

"Looks like it's a stroke of luck that you did. Who is that?" He asked as he looked at the small girl in Jade's arms who stopped crying but shyly looked away from the man she didn't know.

"That's Michelle. Michelle, this is Robbie, your mommies and daddy's friend from school." Jade said to her daughter who slowly looked at the man who was standing in front of her and her mother before looking away again. "She's shy. Um, you want to come in? Have a coffee or something?"

"I would love to." Robbie told her. Both made their way into their flat. It was a three room flat with a room for the kids, a kitchen and a living room.

"Can I bring you something?" Jade asked him as she sat her daughter down on the couch and turned on the TV onto one of the cartoons, which caught the girl's attention immediately.

Jade finally let out a small sigh of relief and walked back to the coffee table Robbie had been sitting at and she sat down across from him.

"Thank you for saving our asses back there. I don't know how we would have gotten out of this ordeal." Jade said honestly.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad I showed up in time. Where's Beck? You two still together?" Robbie asked, although he already knew the answer.

"We are. He went to an audition. He should be back soon. I only hope he gets the role. We could really need the money." Jade honestly said.

"Is it so bad?" Robbie asked.

"We both had our regular jobs. I work at a local coffee shop and sometimes sing in one of the bars while he had a job in one of the music shops nearby. But the shop closed down six months ago and since then he's been trying to find a job. But he didn't have any luck so far. He's been going both to job interviews and auditions all the time, and sometimes he even gets a part, but it's only been some low budget movies where he didn't make much." Jade explained.

"And on your salary you have to both survive and take care of the bills with two children on top?" Robbie asked.

"Mhm. We barely make it from the beginning of the month to the end. As you just saw, we didn't even have enough to pay a single rent."

"Where is your other kid?"

"Jeremy is at school. He is eight. Michelle is only four and in pre-school, but she's been has a small fewer so I thought I'll let her stay at home." Jade said while looking towards her daughter, who was still completely absorbed in the cartoon.

They continued talking for a while, just catching up on each others lives when the door opened and Beck walked inside.

"I'm home." He said in a defeated tone. Jade immediately got up and walked towards him while Michelle jumped off the couch and ran towards him. He picked her up immediately and hugged her to himself while Jade stood in front of him, her expression filled with understanding and sadness.

"Mr. Oswald almost threw us out this morning." Jade said.

"When?"

"When you were at the audition. He came here and said that we had until six to get out of here." She explained.

"Oh god… How did you convince him not to?" Beck asked, seeming desperate by now.

"I didn't. Someone came to my rescue." She said as she stepped aside and Beck saw Robbie sitting there.

"Robbie? Is that you?" Beck said as he put his daughter down and walked towards his old friend.

"It's great to see you again." Robbie said as both man hugged after not seeing one another for many years.

"Wait, how did you help her?" Beck asked after they pulled away.

"He paid the six months we owed." Jade said.

"You what?" Beck asked in shock.

"It's nothing." Robbie told him in a calm voice. Beck drew his hand through his hair while he let out a long sigh.

"Thank you so much. I promise you I will pay you back as soon as possible. I…"

"You don't have to." Robbie told him.

"No, it's too much money for you to not want any back." Jade joined in their conversation.

"Take it as a gift and an apology for working instead of being at your wedding." Robbie told them. "And don't worry. I won't miss a single bit of that money." He added.

"Thank you, man." Beck told him.

Beck and Robbie sat down and talked while Jade took Michelle and went out to pick up Jeremy from school.

"I never thought that you and Jade would end up in this situation." Robbie told him honestly, and Beck didn't take any offense to that.

"I didn't believe it myself so many years ago, but I guess reality caught up on us." Beck told him.

"Was it always this bad?"

"Not always, but we've had some financial issues before. Tori and Andre helped us out more often than I can count by now. But now, with their situation, I really don't know how we would have ever gotten the money to not get kicked out of here." Beck explained.

"Your family can't help you?" Robbie asked. Beck only shook his head no.

"Jade hasn't spoken to her dad since we graduated from high school. She wanted to prove to him that she wasn't a failure and I went with her. Our idea was work for a few months, maybe even a few years, get a single chance in Hollywood and conquer the world. But now I realize how dumb we were. We went out there with no insurance, no safety net. Nothing. And now look where it took us. At least I see you made it. A nice suit, seemingly five grand to just give away… I guess I can consider you successful." Beck said with a small smile.

"I got lucky. I got a great roommate at college and we've been doing our thing since graduation. I've been so caught up in work I barely had time to call any of you guys." Robbie explained.

"Well, I wish some stroke of luck would hit us. Me getting a role or Jade just sending out one of her scripts."

"What scripts?" Robbie asked.

"She has never stopped writing screenplays and movie scripts. I've been telling her to send them out or something, maybe someone would buy one of them. Now we couldn't even afford an agent or someone who knows where to send those things. They are good, that's the worst thing. You know how her writing is." Beck explained.

"You can give one of them to me and I'll ask a friend of mine if he knows someone who is buying them." Robbie offered.

"You know someone who might buy one?" Beck asked, not sure if he heard right.

"I do. You meet a lot of people in my job, that's for sure. Give me one of them and I'll see what I can do." Robbie told him.

"Give me a minute." Beck said as he got up and walked into the other room. He came back a minute later with a rather thick script. "Here. It's some type of horror story she had been writing for a while now. I think it's good."

"I'm sure it is. It's Jade after all. She knows how to scare people." Robbie said with a chuckle as he went through the pages quickly.

"I feel bad for you helping us again now, after you already saved our asses, and you know I wouldn't do that if I wasn't desperate by now." Beck said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go call my friend immediately and see what I can do. When I find out if anyone wants it, I'll come by again and let you guys know. I'm in LA for a week at least." Robbie said as he got up.

"Thank you again for everything. I promise, I will pay you back somehow." Beck said as he shook hands with his old friend.

"Again, don't worry about it." Robbie said and got out of the flat. He walked down the stairway before taking out his phone and pressing the speed dial button.

"Adam, I've got something for you. Meet me at the restaurant I told you about in an hour." Robbie said as he walked out of the building.


	4. Day 4

„I can't believe I'm still helping you with this." Adam said as he took a sip from his glass.

"Well, you are, and I'm grateful for it." Robbie told him and took another bite from the donut he ordered.

After updating Adam on what he found out about Jade's script in the restaurant, both men met again for breakfast and coffee so Adam had some time to read the script and create a contract. And as always, Adam did his job perfectly.

"It's good, I have to admit. It's a psychological horror story that uses every single great element of the genre. Gore, blood, a faceless killer who fills the bogeyman description and protagonists who actually seem human and aren't faceless idiots only there to be killed." Adam explained.

"She always was a talented writer. Actually, Jade always was the total package. She can sing, dance, act, is an exceptional writer as you see and even directed some great plays back in school. It still surprises me that two hard workers like Beck and she didn't become successful." Robbie said.

"Success isn't only hard work. Luck is as an important factor as anything else. And judging from what you told me about them, none of your friends had any."

"Well, I thought I had, before everything fell apart." Robbie said, looking through the window.

Adam let out a long sigh, knowing that the conversation would go there again. It always did. No matter how hard he tried, his friend would always bring Annie up. Adam understood why he did it. He understood that Rob was in pain since he lost her. But that still didn't mean that he approved of what Robbie wants to do.

"I dreamt of her again last night." Robbie began, not even looking at the man sitting across the table." I was holding her hand while she was lying in the hospital table. She asked me to understand. To let go. And before I could tell her anything, she was far away, her heart stopping beating. The next thing I know, I'm standing in front of her gravestone. It only read 'Annie Shapiro'. I heard her yell from the grave. I heard her call my name. And then I woke up." Robbie finished.

Adam shook his head, not knowing what to say anymore. Hearing it was horrible. He couldn't even imagine how it must feel experiencing these things every night. No wonder Robbie had come up with such a plan.

"You dream of her every night?" Adam asked him. Robbie only nodded his head. "And you really believe that you will see her again if you go through with this?"

Robbie didn't answer immediately. His gaze seemed distant. His mind seemed lost. He had thought about this so long and so often. And yet every time his decision was the same.

"I don't know. But even if I don't see her again, at least all this will stop. Everything is better than living like this, Adam. Waking up every morning after watching the person you loved the most die every night. Shrinks didn't help. Medications didn't help. Tell me; is there anything else left for me but to die? Is there any other way to stop this?" Robbie asked his best friend.

"I only hope that you change your mind before it's too late. There is nothing else I can tell you that I already haven't beaten to death. But I can promise you again, and you know that, you know me well enough. I promise you that I will help you with everything that lies in my power. And I also promise you that I will keep the promises you make them. That's the least I can do for you." Adam told him, breathing deeply and trying to keep his composure in front of Robbie.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I dragged you into this predicament, but I have to do this. It's only six more days. Six more days, and all this will be over." Robbie said.

After another hour, they left the café and Adam left LA, having an important meeting later that day.

Robbie got into his car and drove towards the northern part of LA. After a few minutes, he arrived at his destination. He got out of his car and walked towards the house. He knocked on the door and stepped back. He heard a familiar voice yell from inside the house while he assumed children were running around. After a minute, the door finally opened.

"Yes?" Trina asked in an annoyed voice before she actually saw who was standing right in front of her.

"Hey Trina. It's been a while." Rob said, amused to finally see the arrogant half of the Vega sisters speechless.

"Robbie!" She said as she stepped outside. She quickly looked left and right before grabbing him by the arm and dragged him inside the house.

"What's wrong?" Robbie asked.

"N-nothing. The neighbors are all way to nosy." Trina said nervously. Robbie noticed her strange behavior, and it didn't seem that she tried to hide it at all.

"What's wrong?" Robbie asked, remembering how Tori had mentioned that Trina was worrying her.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I haven't seen you for so long. What brings you here?" Trina asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"I got a few days off and decided to stop by in LA and visit my old friends. Of course I wouldn't leave without seeing how you are." Robbie told her.

"Aww. That's so nice of you. I'm doing great. I'm married as you know and enjoying a good life." Trina said as a wide smile appeared on her face.

"Where's your husband. I would love to meet him."

Trina's smile disappeared for a moment, seemingly at the thought of Robbie meeting him.

"Uhm, he's at work now. And I don't think you would like to meet him. I mean, he's your average guy. Likes a beer or two. Loves his car and watching sports." Trina said, trying to keep a smile on her face while talking about him.

"Okay, Trina, you've been acting strange since I came here. What's wrong?" Robbie asked, slowly annoyed by her behavior. One thing didn't change after all these years. She still was a horrible actress, that's for sure.

"W-why would you think that something's wrong? You are the one acting weird, accusing me like this." She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Mommy, who is that?" Trina and Robbie both turned around to see a young boy standing on the bottom of the stairs.

"Honey, go upstairs." Trina told him in a serious, yet seemingly scared voice.

"Is he going to protect us from daddy?" the boy asked in a hopeful tone.

"Go upstairs!" Trina yelled, making the boy flinch. He did after looking at Robbie for a moment. Trina turned back to Robbie, but didn't look at him. Instead, her eyes met the floor, avoiding Robbie's stare.

"Why would I need to save you from and your kids?" Robbie asked.

"We don't need to get saved. I don't know what he was talking about. You know how kids are. They make things up. They talk nonsense. They always…"

"Trina, is he abusing you?" Robbie finally asked. Trina's eyes shot up at him.

"N-no. He's not."

"Trina, is that why Tori has been worried about you?" Robbie asked, not wanting to let it go.

"There is no reason to worry about me." Trina said, her voice slowly getting angrier.

"Trina, if he is doing anything, you can tell me."

"He's not doing anything!" Trina yelled angrily, tears filling up her eyes.

"Trina, I can help you. Just tell me the truth." Robbie begged, but to no avail. Trina walked right past him towards the front door and opened it.

"I don't know who you think you are walking into my house and throwing accusations around like this. Roger isn't abusing anyone. He never put his hands on me or on our children. Now get out." Trina yelled while pointing towards the door. "Leave or I'll call the police!"

"Alright, alright. I'll leave." Robbie said as he put up his hands in defense. "But if you do need me, here's my number." He said as he took out one of his business cards and placed it on the small table next to the couch. "You can call me anytime."

"Get out!" She yelled as he stepped outside. She slammed the door hard while Robbie let out a defeated sigh. He turned around and walked towards his car. He got inside and drove off; disappointed that she blew his offer off like this. He never expected Trina of all people to be a victim to abuse of any kind.

After around half an hour he arrived at his destination. He walked into the hospital and stepped into the elevator, punching in the number of the floor he wanted to visit. Once the elevator reached it, he stepped outside and walked towards the doctor's office. He knocked before walking inside.

"Yes?" The doctor said as he looked up, a smile appearing on his face when he saw the man who saved a life just three days ago. "Mr. Shapiro! It's so nice to see you." The doctor said as he got up and walked towards Robbie.

"Nice to see you too." Robbie said as both man shook hands. "I came to see how Courtney is doing and wanted to get an update from you first." Robbie explained.

"Of course. I am happy to tell you that her body accepted your kidney and she is expected to make a full recovery. She already is much stronger and should be out of here in a few weeks."

"That's great." Robbie said as a genuine smile formed on his lips. He was happy to at least hear some good news today. "Alright, then I'm going to pay her a visit now." He said as he reached for the door.

"Of course. She is in room 18 though. We still keep an eye on her, but it's no longer an emergency case. Also, I think her brother is there too now. He probably will be happy to see you too."

"Thanks for the news. Good day." Robbie said as he walked out and towards room 18. He reached it after a minute and walked inside. He looked around and saw Sinjin's jacket on one of the chairs in the corner. He walked towards it and saw him sitting on the bed, talking to Courtney. Her face wasn't pale anymore. Her tired expression was replaced with a happy one and the small smile on the edge of her lips wouldn't seem to disappear. It only grew wider when she saw him standing in front of the bed. Sinjin turned around and smiled up himself, seeing his sister's savior standing there.

"Hey, Robbie." Sinjin said as he got up and hugged his friend. Robbie gladly hugged back, imagining the burden that had been taken from Sinjin's shoulders in the last three days.

"Hey Sin. Did Adam call you?" Robbie asked.

"Yes. Yes he did and you got yourself two new employees." Sinjin told him with a wide smile.

"That's great to hear." Robbie told him before turning his attention to Courtney. "How are you?"

"I'm feeling great, thanks to you." She told him in a shaky voice. "Thank you so much."

"You don't have to thank me." Robbie told her. Both he and Sinjin froze in place when Courtney slowly pulled the covers away. She slowly sat up and turned her body so that her legs were hanging from the edge of the bed before stepping on the cold hospital floor. She hissed at the sudden cold sensation, but didn't care.

"Sis, what are you…?" Sinjin began, but she was already up. She slowly and carefully made her first step in months without anyone's help and with a bit of effort got to Robbie before wrapping both arms around him.

"You saved my life. And now you are giving me and my brother a chance for a better future. Don't tell me that I don't have to thank you. I owe you everything. So thank you, Robbie Shapiro. Thank you so much." She told while the tears were freely running down her cheeks.

"I'm glad I could help." Robbie told her as he hugged her back.

"Just… why? After all those years you come back and do this. Why?" She asked, looking at him. He only smiled a small smile.

"Because you are good people. Good people deserve good things happening to them. And since I've had some luck in my life, I want to share it with you two." He explained. He only felt her grip around him tighten, while Sinjin was freely crying himself, not caring at the moment if anyone was watching him.

"Thank you again. I will never forget this." She said.

Robbie was happy that one part of his plan worked. He only hoped the other would too. And even if they didn't, at least he could die knowing he helped and changed the life of two friends for the better.


	5. Day 5

The light broke through the small opening in the curtain as Robbie was sitting on the edge of his hotel bed, his hands covering his face while his shoulders wouldn't stop trembling. He didn't dare to look up again, not until he was sure that he wouldn't see anything anymore that wasn't there. He took a deep breath before lifting his gaze. He froze when he saw her silhouette, surrounded by the suns golden light.

"Annie?" He asked, his voice shaking, his mind telling him that she isn't there while his heart yelled at it to shut up. He reached for her, like he always did in his dreams, and just like in his dreams, when he was mere inches away from reaching her, she disappeared. The silhouette replaced only by the bright sunlight while the alarm clock screeched away in the room.

Robbie got up, his shoulders hanging low, his face pale and his eyes red from the tears. He stepped into the shower, not even caring to turn on the warm water. He didn't even flinch when the water hit his skin and slid down, his mind to wrapped up to even feel the cold. He leaned on the wall with his back, letting his head hang and take the cold water in, hoping it would wake him up and snap him back into reality.

"Five more days, Annie. Five more days and we will be together again." He repeated to himself like a mantra, hoping for it to keep him physically and emotionally strong enough just this little bit longer.

He stepped out of the shower and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His scar from the surgery was clearly visible on his pale, thin body. He turned around and left the bathroom, taking some fresh and clean clothes out of his suitcase and placing them on the bed as he grabbed again into the suitcase and took out a fake bottom. He threw it carelessly on the bed before taking out the gun he had hidden there. He sat down in the chair that was next to the bed, the gun still in his hand. He took out the gun magazine, seeing the single nine millimeter bullet he had put there in the first place. He placed the magazine back in the gun before hiding it again in his case and getting dressed.

After 10 minutes, he was sitting in his car and driving of into LA again. Again, he would meet someone he hadn't seen in more than a decade. But this person was different. This person is the only one he wasn't sure he could face. Not now. Not with this idea. It was why, once he arrived at the address, he didn't just calmly walk towards the house and knock on the door. It was why he was sitting in his car for the last half hour, not able to make up his mind if he should actually go and see her, or just drive away and forget that one part.

After another fifteen minutes, he finally stepped out of his car and made his way towards the house. He stepped on the porch and took a deep breath as he lifted his hand, ready to knock. But his body didn't move. His hand didn't move. He tried to calm down. He tried to focus, to think about the plan.

"It's only Cat." He told himself, feeling the pressure in his chest only get more intense once he said her name. Using every bit of willpower left, he finally knocked on the door.

"I'm on my way!" He heard her yell from inside the house. Her voice echoed in his head, taking the pressure away from his chest when he realized that it didn't change. That it was the same high pitched, angelic voice he remembered.

The door opened and Robbie saw that familiar red color in front of his eyes. He saw that small stature that had more strength in it than most people ever expected. He saw her brown eyes that stared at him in confusion before they turned to a surprised shock once she realized who was standing in front of her.

"Robbie?" Her voice said, almost making him choke out of happiness to see her again.

"Hey Cat." He said with a small, yet genuine smile. "I've been in LA for a few days so I decided to stop and say hi. I haven't seen you in…" he began, but stopped once he felt her two arms wrap around his neck and draw him into a big, strong hug.

"Robbie!" She happily said, making him smile only wider. She was actually happy to see him. He was happy that he saw her. It scared him more than anything else in the world right now. "I heard that you were in LA, but I didn't want to call you since I didn't know if you still had your old number or if you had enough time. I heard that you helped Sinjin and Courtney! Oh Robbie, that was so nice of you. How are you?" All statements and questions left her mouth in mere seconds while Robbie only watched her carefully. It was still his Cat. It was still her the way he remembered her. Her voice. The way she spoke. The way she looks at him. Everything was the same as it was the last time he saw her. The time he told her he would stay in contact. The time he promised her he wouldn't just disappear out of her life. The time he had lied to her.

"Yes, I did. They needed my help and I was able to do so. So why not. And yes, I still have my old number." He told her in a calm voice, serenity somehow filling his just a few moments ago rampaging mind as he was talking to her.

"Do you want to come in? If you have time, of course!" She asked, doing her old, familiar cute face like she had so often in the old days. He chuckled lightly as he nodded. "Yay!" She happily said as she took his hand and dragged him inside.

They sat down on the big couch in her living room and began to talk, knowing they had a lot to catch up on.

"How come you came to LA? You haven't been here since you moved to Miami." Cat asked him.

"I missed this place and finally got some time off. Me and a close friend from college opened a distribution and filming studio once we were done with college and had to work our asses off for a long time so we didn't go down." Robbie explained.

"And you two succeeded?"

"The company's name is Puppet-master records. We've done some big movies in the last few years, after almost having gone bankrupt more than one. It's why I basically disappeared and couldn't even come to the reunions. I've had work up to my neck and I wanted it to succeed. But because of the work Adam and I put in the company, we can now take it easy and do what we always wanted to do."

"Adam is that friend of yours?"

"Yes. We were roommates back at campus and immediately became friends. Once we both got our diplomas, he came to me with the idea, how he called it, to "roll the dice" and just take the risk. And we did. Had it not been for him being a bigger workhorse than me, things would be a lot different." Robbie explained.

"So you took time off after fifteen years and finally decide to come and visit your old high school friends? Just like that?" Cat asked. Robbie got nervous for a moment, the idea of her knowing something else was going getting into his head.

"Just like that." He said with a smile. "I've missed you guys and felt bad for never calling or anything. I know it's a bad excuse, but I really did miss you all." Robbie admitted.

"But that thing with Sinjin and Courtney; you donating your kidney to her." Cat began. "I couldn't believe it when Courtney told me."

"She told you?"

"Mhm." Cat nodded. "I see her often. She used to work at the coffee shop next to my flower store."

"So you own a flower shop?" Robbie asked.

"Yes, and I love it. It's doing so great, and working with all those pretty flowers and making all those beautiful projects with them is the best thing ever." Cat happily said.

"I thought you would become and actress or something." Robbie admitted.

"I wanted to, and I even started auditioning. But those people are all so mean and trying to cheat you out of money and sabotage your career. I don't like that. I don't like people being mean and ugly to one another." Cat said; a small frown showing on her face.

"It's true. I've had to watch it myself quite often. Adam and I stepped in more than once because the director would treat the crew and the actors like they were animals." Robbie said.

"Exactly. And I don't need that in my life. So I do what I love to do. Make people happy when they see my decorations and everything else I can do." Cat said, her smile returning again.

They talked like this for hours, talking about college, talking about they jobs, but mostly remembering and retelling what they went through together back in Hollywood Arts.

It was seven PM when Cat remembered that she still had to go back to her store and Robbie realized how much time he had spent with Cat. Both walked out of her house, stopping one more time in front of his car.

"How long will you stay in LA?" She asked him.

"Five more days." He told her in a calm voice, reminding himself how much time he still had.

"Promise me you will come visit me again before you leave!" Cat said in the most serious tone she could.

"I promise." He said with a small smile.

"Yay!" She squealed before she jumped and hugged him around the neck again. "I'll see you then. Just let me know beforehand. Here's my number!" She happily said as she gave him her own business card. "Bye!" She said as she happily skipped away. Robbie smiled as he looked at the card, happy to have seen Cat again. Happy that she still was the sweet, innocent girl he had known since sixth grade. He was also happy that she didn't ask him anything about relationships, because he hadn't wanted to think about Annie. Whenever he did, his façade would break, and he couldn't allow that to happen.

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang. He looked at the ID, but there was only a number.

"Hello?" He answered it.

"Robbie?" He heard the crying voice on the other line.

"Trina? Is that you?" He said, worry filling his voice.

"Look, I don't know why I'm calling you. But I'm calling you. You said you could help me and my family. Can you really help us?" She asked, her voice filled with fear and desperation.

She told him where she was and Robbie drove there immediately. She was standing in front of the payphone of motel. She had a black eye, a bruised lip and choke marks around her throat. Robbie jumped out of his car once he saw her.

"Trina! What happened?" He asked her, but she only fell into his arms, crying into his chest. He added two and two together and knew that it must have been her boyfriend. After an hour she finally calmed down as both sat in Robbie's car, Trina's three kids having fallen asleep in the backseat once they picked them out of their room.

"Someone told him that you came to my house. He had always been very jealous, so once he heard, we had a fight and he punched me a few times, I lost count, and even began strangling me. Kevin had woken up and run down when he heard all the noise. I heard him scream and the choking stopped. He only got up and left the house. I grabbed my things, my kids and ran off. I came to the motel because I was afraid he would come back and kill me and our children. I'm so scared Robbie." Trina explained before she broke down again.

"I will help you." He said as he reached into his jacket and took out two envelopes. "Take these and drive to this address. Drive north, up the coast and follow the road signs; you won't be able to miss it." Robbie said.

"W-what is this?" Trina asked.

"It's your key to a new life. Just trust me. But don't open the envelopes before you get there. Promise me that."

"B-but what if he finds us? What if…"

"Stop it!" Robbie interrupted her. "Don't be weak. Don't be weak. Trina, listen to me. This is real. This is happening and this is your chance at a new, better life. Look at your kids. Look at your children. Be strong for them." Robbie told her in a firm voice, while she looked at him in disbelief.

"I-I can't drive there. He took my car." Trina cried, desperate and scared. She only looked at him in more disbelief when she saw a set of keys fall on her lap.

"The car is yours." Robbie told her as he opened his door and got out. "You will understand everything once you get there. Now go." Robbie said before closing shutting the car door and walking away towards the hotel he was staying in. Trina looked after him, but he was already out of sight. She looked back one more time at her kids, still peacefully asleep in the backseat. Trina took one deep breath before she shifted into the driver's seat and started the engine.

She drove the whole night, finally arriving at her destination just as the sun was going up. She looked in awe at the large house that was in front of her. She pressed one of the buttons on a remote on the keychain and the large gate slowly opened, letting her drive into the driveway. She parked her car and woke up the kids. They all got out and walked towards the front door. Trina unlocked it and opened it with the kids immediately running into the house, left speechless.

"Mommy, look! The ocean!" Her youngest daughter screamed in joy as she was standing in front of the glass slide door. Trina walked to her and gently put her hand on her head, looking in awe at the view. They were only a few feet away from the large beach while the sun reflected on the ocean.

The kids turned on the large flat screen TV in the living room while Trina sat down on the kitchen table and opened the envelopes. The first one had multiple contracts filled out almost completely while the other envelope had a single note in it.

"_Trina, I didn't lie when I told you I would help you. When Annie died, I bought this place hoping it would calm my spirit. I hoped it could heal my soul. I hope it will prove true to you. When you sign the dotted lines on the contracts in the second envelope, you will own my house and my car outright. I don't want you to tell anyone how you got this house or anything that happened. And most importantly, I don't want you trying to contact me or to find me. Begin a new life for yourself and your beautiful children. And don't worry about money. In a few days you will be contacted by a friend of mine. He will take care of everything. _

_Please, honor my wishes. _

_Robbie Shapiro"_

Trina covered her mouth with her hand to prevent the sob from escaping. She looked at the contracts in front of her, everything signed and only the spaces for her signature left. She thought about it and finally signed all contracts.

"Mommy, is everything okay?" Kevin asked, having seen his mom begin to cry again.

"Yes. Everything is okay." Trina said as she hugged her son.


	6. Day 6

The cars drove past the cafe while Robbie was sitting by himself on one of the tables, reading the newspapers and enjoying his morning coffee. He didn't have anything planned for the morning this time, so he decided to enjoy one of his own old habits and routines. It also helped him stay awake, more nightmares having kept him up last night. He hoped that Trina found his house and that she liked it. He had bought it less than a year ago, after Annie died. He moved there, isolating himself from the world and leaving his company in the competent hands of the vice president and his best friend.

He would enjoy the ocean views every morning at dawn and every evening at dusk, watching the sun reflect on the water. It calmed him down when his emotions began going wild. He had tried everything. He meditated, he wrote, he painted, he sang, he played the guitar, but nothing could distract him for long. In the end, his mind would always fall back on her. His mind would always return to the three moments that broke him.

A knock on the large café window next to him snapped him back from his thoughts. He turned his head and his eyes met the familiar, loving brown ones, a few red strands of hair hanging in front of them.

Robbie smiled at Cat as she waved at him before making her way into the café. The bell above the door rang as it was opened and the smiling redhead walked towards his table.

"Hi!" She happily said as she sat down on the chair.

"Hey. I didn't expect to see you." Robbie said with a small smile. It was true. He hadn't expected her, but he was happy to see her. He always was. He always had been.

"I'm on my way to work and when I saw you I couldn't just walk by." Cat told him. "Why are you sitting here by yourself?"

"It's an old habit of mine. Go to a café, have a coffee and read the newspapers. I've been doing it for a while now." Robbie explained.

"Well, if you are done with your routine, how about you walk me to my shop and I can show you my work?" Cat asked; a hopeful smile on her face.

"Sure." Robbie said, smiling back at her offer.

"Yay!" Cat said as she got up and grabbed his hands, pulling him up. He laughed at her behavior, nostalgia and memories from Hollywood Arts coming back. A time where things were everything but complicated. A time where he had no true issues. A time where he wanted to live and enjoy his life. It was a time he missed.

He left the money and the table and they both made their way out of the café, Robbie opening the door and holding it open for Cat.

"Thank you." She said as she walked outside.

They walked for a while, talking and joking around. Cat talked about her next big project coming and how she couldn't wait to finish the current wedding decorations she had begun.

"It will be a big wedding and I had to make two hundred large flower arrangements. I just have ten more to do and should be done today." Cat happily told as she walked next to Robbie, who gladly listened.

"How long have you been working on it?"

"For the last six weeks. It was a lot of work."

"You didn't have help?"

"Nope. I want to do it by myself. Every one of those arrangements is my own little piece of art. My little baby if you will." Cat said, her smile widening while she was talking about her work. "If you treat them like that, they will all be beautiful."

"That's a wonderful perspective to have towards your work. I wish I had one like that." Robbie admitted, admiring Cat's love for her own work.

"Mhm. If you love what you do, work is the easiest thing in the world. And thankfully, I do lo…" the words died in Cat's throat as her eyes landed on her flower shop. She gasped when she saw the broken front window and the mess inside of the shop.

"No! No, no, no…" Cat began, running towards her store while Robbie looked on in disbelief. She saw that the lock on the door was breached and when she stepped inside, she saw the large boulder that must have been thrown through the front window. "Oh god." Cat said as the tears slowly made their way down her cheeks.

Robbie walked into the broken down place and saw all the damage done. There were glass shards everywhere while torn apart flowers and arrangements were lying on the ground.

"No, no, no! All my work." Cat cried. Robbie walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest, feeling his shirt soaking up her tears.

"Shh, it's alright." He said, hoping to calm her down while he took his cell and called the police.

LAPD was there a few minutes later, writing down what happened and investigating the scene. It was nothing new for them, as Cat and Robbie found out.

"There have been an increased number of vandalism and robbery cases in the past few months. Gangs or drug addicts, doesn't matter. They break in, take the money and break everything inside for no apparent reason. We have been going after them for a while, but they still are on the streets." The officer explained.

"W-what about the damage on my shop?" Cat asked in a shaky voice.  
"Insurance should cover it. We can write you the report." He said.

"B-but I don't have any insurance." Cat said.

"Oh. Then I'm sorry. There is nothing we can do here now, but I can tell you that we will do everything we can to catch them. Now if you will excuse me, I have to call this in." the officer said and walked away leaving the crying Cat standing by herself.

"What did he say?" Robbie asked as he walked towards her once the officer left.

"I-I need to get home and lay down." Cat said, her hands trembling.

"Is it that bad?" Robbie asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. She nodded.

"I don't have any insurance, Robbie." She said, sniffing heavily.

"Why don't you have any?" He asked her in a warm, caring voice.

"I never thought I needed it. I never imagined someone would do this to a flower shop. Who would hurt flowers like this?" Cat said, shaking hear head in disbelief. "I have to get enough money to fix everything inside. I have to fix the window, replace my broken arrangements and… oh god, the arrangements! I won't be able to hold the deadline!" Cat gasped.

"I'm sure your clients will understand. This is not your fault." Robbie told her.

"I know but… she will be so disappointed… I need to lie down." Cat said again.

"I'll walk you home."

They arrived at Cat's house half an hour later, Robbie having succeeded to calm Cat down a little bit. She stopped crying and panicking, but still felt awful for having to disappoint her clients.

"Thank you for walking me home and calming me down. It helped a lot." Cat said as they stood in front of her house.

"No problem. Everything will be fine, believe me." Robbie told her.

"Thank you. I have to get inside, make a few phone calls and see if I can scrap together the money to repair everything." Cat said before she let out a sigh.

"I can help you. I can give you the money." Robbie offered, but Cat immediately shook her head.

"No! No way! I don't want that."

"Why not?" Robbie said, confused at her reaction.

"Borrowing money from you would make me feel awful. It… it would cast a shadow over our friendship, and I don't want that. I don't want to be a burden to you after what you did for Sinjin and Courtney." Cat explained.

"It's really no big deal for me."

"But it is for me. Please Robbie, don't. I'll take care of this." Cat said, her voice firm. "I'll see you later." She said before she stepped towards him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She turned around and entered her house, leaving Robbie to stand there, frozen in place. He felt his cheek burn, the kiss having the same effect it had so many years ago back in Hollywood Arts. He breathed in deeply, hoping to calm down. It couldn't happen. He only loved one girl, and she was not there anymore. He wouldn't love anyone else. He would never fall for any other girl. He promised her that. He promised that to himself.

Rob walked back towards Cat's flower shop and made a few calls himself while he was on the way. An hour later, he met the workers in front of Cat's shop. They looked at the damage done and talked it over.

"It should be around twenty grand. The pots, the door, the windows, the frames, a new table and new cash register." One of the workers said.

"And how quickly can it be done?" Robbie asked him.

"Let me take the measures for the door and front window and I can go back to our warehouse and get everything. It should be done in a few hours." He said.

"I can go to our place and get the plants and pots." Another worker said.

"Deal. I'll wait here." Robbie said. The man nodded, told two of his workers to stay there and clean up the mess while he drove away. Forty minutes later, both came back in a small truck. They unloaded everything and immediately began working. After two hours, the new door was standing; a new front window was gracing the shop while the inside looked as if nothing ever had happened.

"This looks great." Robbie admitted, smiling up.

"And it's safer. No boulder can get through that glass." The worker said.

"Great. Amazing job guys." Robbie admitted. He wrote the check and looked one more time at the store, hoping that Cat would like the surprise.

It was 5 pm when Cat heard someone knock on the door. She opened it, her headache still present and she still in shock from what had happened.

"Hey. Felling better?" Robbie asked as he stepped inside.

"A bit. My client is not angry. She's a bit disappointed, but not angry. At least that wasn't a disaster." Cat said with a small smile.

"Well, I think I know what could make you feel even a bit better now." Robbie said.

"What?"

"How about we go get you some ice cream?"

"Ice cream? Yay!" Cat said, running into her living room, grabbing her purse and running outside. Robbie chuckled at her behavior, happy that he got her out of the house this easily.

He got her to an Ice cream parlor close to her shop. She didn't seem to notice it, happily grabbing pieces of her ice-cream with the small spoon. When they were done, Robbie made them take another way towards her home, one that would have them walk past her flower shop.

"Why are we going this way?" Cat asked.

"I have to go to one of the electronic shops nearby. My phone charger doesn't work anymore." Robbie lied.

"Oh… Kaykay…" Cat said weakly, her expression becoming sad. She was a bit angry at Robbie for seemingly forgetting that they would have to walk past her shop, and how much it would hurt her to see it again this broken and damaged.

"Is everything alright?" Robbie asked her, noticing that she became sadder.

"I hoped I wouldn't have to see my broken down place again today. It only hurts me when I see…" Cat began, but her voice faded into nothingness when her eyes landed on what was in front of her. She looked at her Flower Shop, the new pink door and the new front window. She turned around to Robbie in disbelief, who took out the key for the new door out of his pocket and placed it in Cat's hands.

"D-did you…?" Cat stuttered.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't just stand there and let this happen to you." Rob said as he walked towards the door. "Come on, unlock it." He said.

Cat did so, completely speechless. Her eyes only grew wider when she saw that everything inside had been replaced.

"I got you this strong, steel, burglarproof door with extra thick bolts and an extra heavy strike plate, so nobody can open this without the key. The window is also unbreakable, so the next boulder should easily fly back to the guy who throws it. One of my mom's old friends has a flower shop herself, so I asked her to send us new pots and flowers. Thankfully, they had them in bright colors. They even had a pink door. I hope you like it." Robbie explained. Cat stood next to him, still not saying a single word as she looked at everything inside and listened to what Robbie was telling her.

"Robbie…" Cat said, shaking her head, "Why?" She asked, looking at him. Robbie saw that she had begun to cry again. A sharp sensation of pain hit him in the chest. He didn't want to make her cry again.

"Cat, why do you even ask? We have been so close friends our whole life. Just because I didn't see you for so long doesn't mean that you mean any less to me. Did you really think that I would not help you?" Robbie asked her.

A small smile slowly formed on Cat's lips as she looked at him. She wiped away her tears, breathing in slowly.

"I will pay you back one day. I promise." She said.

"It's not about the money. It's about me wanting to see you smile again. Just like you did earlier today. It's about me wanting you to be happy." He said. Before he knew, her arms were around his chest and her head was leaning on his shoulder.

"You really are a piece of work, Robbie." She said with a small chuckle. "How about this? I will take you out for dinner. And I don't want to hear no for an answer."

"I guess that my answer is yes then." He said as he hugged her back, the closeness sending a rush of emotions through his body and mind.

"When do you have time? Don't you dare leave LA before that!" Cat said, looking at him with her big brown eyes.

"Tomorrow I have something important to take care off. I need to visit Andre and Tori again. And the day after that I have to talk to Jade and Beck. I have some good news for both of them." Robbie told her.

"Robbie, what are you doing? Courtney and Sinjin, now me, and now you are saying that you have good news for Andre, Tori, Beck and Jade? What are you doing?" She asked him.

"I'm only trying to help." He told her in a warm voice, barely hiding the pain in it. "So how about we have dinner in two days? I will have time after I visit Beck and Jade." He asked, changing the subject.

"Alright. Meet me at my place at 8 pm. And be on time." She said as she let go.

"I will, don't worry."


	7. Day 7

Robbie was sitting on his bed in his hotel room, staring out of the window into the bright, blue sky. He had only three more days until the anniversary of Annie's death. Three more days he had to endure before he would call it quits. He couldn't wait for it. He couldn't wait for the day to come. The pain would be over. His nightmares would finally stop. He would no longer have to watch her final moments in the hospital every time he closed his eyes. He would no longer see her at random places. It would no longer break his heart when he realized that she wasn't actually there.

He firmly held onto his gun, as if someone would pull it out of his grasp if he loosened his grip. He pointed it under his chin, thinking about firing it. Thinking about not waiting anymore. He waited for almost a whole year. A whole year waking up without her next to him. Having to wake up without holding her in his arms. Having to wake up every morning remembering that she was taken away from him. It wasn't fair. Life never treated him well. It always threw rocks on his road. It always tried to get him off of the right track. Yet, he never budged. He never stepped away from his own path. He never let anything else take control of him and his decisions. And when he met Adam fifteen years ago and Annie twelve years ago, he thought that life had finally given up on screwing with him. He honestly believed that he had gotten a break after eighteen years of humiliation. But it wasn't that way. When he thought he was the happiest, when he thought he had everything in life he wanted, everything he needed, it took away the one thing he couldn't live without. It took his wife away from him, and it even made him watch her slow demise. He couldn't do anything. All the doctors, all the money in the world could not help her. Now, not all the shrinks in the world, all the antidepressants, all the alcohol, none of it could make him forget. None of them could make the pain he felt go away.

He had enough. He had enough of having the best things in his life taken away from him. He had enough of the pain he felt every day. He had enough of his mind lying to him that she was still there when she wasn't. He had enough of life itself. He was tired. Sick and tired.

Robbie removed the gun from his chin and put the safety back on before tossing it lazily back into his suitcase. He got up and walked towards the open bathroom door on which he had hung his last clean suit. He got dressed as his mind still ran a life on its own, memories of his wife flooding his mind. It were beautiful memories. How he met her for the first time at a college party. How he had asked her out on a date after two months of chickening out, and how happy he was when she said yes. How the date did not end up being a disaster and how happy he was when she told him she would love to see him again. How happy he was when she said yes to be his girlfriend. How happy he was when she said yes after he proposed to her on the premiere of first movie he produced in front of a large audience. And then, in a single moment, none of it mattered when the memory of the doctor telling them the bad news came. Fresh tears made their way down his cheek while he calmly tied his tie and took the suitcase off of the table before walking out of his room.

The cab was in front of the hotel a few minutes later, driving him to his destination. Adam was already standing in front of the café, he himself dressed in a suit and carrying a suitcase.

"Hi." Robbie said calmly, his voice not carrying the sound of a single emotion.

"Hey there." Adam greeted back, hugging his best friend, knowing it might be the last time he would see him. Robbie hugged him back, imagining what he must be going through himself by now.

They made their way into the café and sat down, both ordering a cappuccino and something to eat.

"I got the contracts here. When are you going to see them?" Adam asked, spinning his pen in one hand while calmly holding his cup in the other.

"Thanks. They invited me to have dinner with them in two hours. Can you drive me there?" Robbie asked, not once touching his food.

"Sure. Sucks without the car, doesn't it?" Adam said with a small smile, which Robbie even returned.

"Kinda does. I'm sure Trina is enjoying it, tough."

"She is. I called her yesterday and told her about you giving her two percent share of our company. It should offer her enough money for a long time, considering we made some great deals in the last two years." Adam explained.

"Thanks for calling her. I didn't want her to bombard me with questions, so I asked you to."

"No problem. Glad that she is gone from that dick of her boyfriend. Beating up the mother of his children. Who the fuck does that?" Adam cursed, anger boiling up inside him even at the idea.

"She's safe now. She can give herself and her children a second chance. Offer them a good future. That's all I want."

"I still don't know why you helped her. From your stories about her, she only used and humiliated you at all times."

"We were young, Adam. We were all young and stupid. I won't hold grudges about things that don't matter anymore. And I don't think someone should pay for the things done so far in the past. And neither should her children." Robbie explained.

"Fair enough. How was it to meet Cat again?" Adam asked, making Robbie let out a chuckle.

"It was…great. She is still little old Cat. Always smiling, always happy. She immediately hugged me the moment she saw me. She talked to me as if I had never left. As if we hadn't stopped talking years ago. She was happy to see me again." Robbie explained, a small smile forming on his lips as he spoke about the redhead. Adam noticed it, a little bit of hope coming back into his mind. He decided to push the topic a little more.

"You saw her only two days ago?" Adam asked, and Robbie shook his head no.

"I saw her yesterday while I was sitting here in the morning. She walked by, and came inside as soon as she saw me sitting here. We talked for a bit and she even wanted me to walk her towards her flower shop."

"Did you?"

"Mhm. We talked, but once we arrived there, we saw that someone had thrown a boulder through the front window and broken the door open. Whoever it was, the money from the register was stolen and all her flower arrangements were smashed. She lost six weeks work for an important project with that."

"Oh god, that's horrible."

"It is. I saw her cry for the first time since she got dumped by that guy back in high school because she wasn't blonde." Robbie said.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, high school was weird. Anyway, I took her home, called up a few workers to fix up the store and replace what was broken since she didn't have any insurance and tricked her into coming with me to it. She was more than happy." Robbie finished, still smiling when he remembered the happiness in Cat's eyes when she saw her shop fixed and well.

"You really must care about her. It's great that you helped her."

"I'm glad I did. She is too sweet and caring for anything like this to happen to her. I wouldn't let it happen. Not to her." Robbie said. Adam looked at his best friend, the man he had known for so long now. The man he knew better than anyone else in this world.

"Why don't you start over with her?" Adam asked, and Robbie tensed up immediately at the question.

"Start over what?" Robbie asked, not looking at him.

"You know what. Start your life over. I know you had a big crush on her back in high school. I know that she means a lot to you know because you smile just a little bit when you talk about her, but it's a smile nonetheless. And coming from you, it's a big deal." Adam explained.

"Adam…"

"No, listen to me. Go on with everything. But change the final part. Get together with her. She doesn't seem to have a boyfriend. And you aren't the little nerd I met back at our first class. If you are giving all of them a second chance at life, if you are doing all this for them, putting in all this effort for your friends, why can't you give yourself another chance? You deserve it too." Adam finished.

Robbie didn't answer. He didn't look at him. He didn't move. He didn't do anything. Adam knew that his mind must be going crazy right now, but he didn't care. It was only a few more days left and he would throw everything at him if necessary just so he would change his mind.

"I have to go. Andre and Tori are waiting for me. I'll take a cab." Robbie said as he got up and walked out of the café. Adam was left sitting there, hoping that if nothing he at least gave his friend some doubts about his plan. He hoped that it would save Robbie's life.

The cab took him to Andre's and Tori's house. He gave the driver the money and walked towards the door. He knocked and stepped back, hearing footsteps from inside.

The door opened a few moments later as Andre stood in front of him, a wide smile on his face when he saw his friend again.

"Hey man. Come in." Andre said as he stepped aside.

"Thanks." Robbie said as he walked inside. They both walked towards the dining room where Tori was setting up the plates.

"Hi!" She said as she waved to him.

"Hey Tori." Robbie greeted back.

"Please, take a seat." Andre offered. They both sat down while Tori walked back into the kitchen to get the food.

"Want something to drink?" Andre asked. "Cola, a beer, a whiskey, I got it all here." Andre said with a small grin.

"A whiskey would do me good." Robbie said with a smirk. Andre chuckled as he took out the bottle and two glasses.

"On rocks?"

"Of course."

Andre nodded as he poured the whiskey into the glass and threw two cubes of ice into each glass. He handed Robbie his drink and sat back down on the table, taking a little sip of his drink. Tori walked back into the dinning room and brought the food.

"Easy on the whiskey, guys. I don't need you wasted here." Tori said as she placed the food on the table.

"Don't worry. Sit down and eat. I want my two girls to have enough to eat." Andre said as he kissed Tori and patted her on the belly.

"You guys are having twins?" Robbie asked, confused by Andre's statement.

"No. We are having a daughter. I'm the other "little girl"". Tori said as she sat down.

They all began eating a minute later, enjoying everything Tori had made for the evening.

"What have been up to the past few days?" Andre asked him.

"Nothing much. I visited Sinjin and Courtney a few days ago. I saw Beck and Jade and I even saw Cat."

"I heard that Courtney is better. Robbie, I didn't know it was you who helped them." Tori said, remembering what she had heard.

"I didn't think it was important." Robbie said as he shrugged.

"Not important? You are joking, right? Paying the hospital bills and donating your kidney? That's great, man. I wish I could have helped them." Andre said, taking another sip of his drink.

"Looks like I beat you to it." Robbie said with a smile.

"You did. You've really changed, man. And what you've done for them is amazing. It sounds like something Tori would have done back in high school." Andre said as he took his wife's hand.

"Well, it's not like she didn't save my ass from a thousand predicaments. Donating all that blood back then and not letting Rex die in front of me is something I am really grateful for." Robbie said.

"Speaking of Rex, where is that little bastard?" Andre asked.

"Left him at home once I headed out for college. It was a new beginning for me."

"Thank god, that puppet was annoying. No offense." Tori said.

"None taken. He was annoying." Robbie said.

Tori jumped out of the chair when the phone rang, running out of the room. Robbie and Andre watched along, confused by her behavior. She came back a minute later, a sober expression on her face.

"Why did you jump at the call?" Andre asked.

"I thought it was Trina. I've been trying to call her for two days now, and she is not answering. I'm afraid that something happened to her." Tori said as she looked down, her imagination running wild at the idea of Trina's boyfriend having killed her and her children.

"Oh man. First the thing with the bank and now this. It's a week from hell I guess. I went to the bank today to pay a part of our debt off, but they told me that I had none left. I just hope they can fix this mistake. I haven't paid a single cent since last month." Andre explained.

Robbie leaned back in his chair as he put down his fork and knife. He emptied the rest of his glass in one gulp and looked back at the couple in front of him.

"Trina is fine." He said.

"W-what? You know where she is?" Tori asked, looking at him with both shock and surprise filling her expression.

"I do. I visited her and offered my help if she needed it. She chased me out, but called me the next day. Her boyfriend had beaten her again after he found out that some guy had been in his house. I sent her and the kids away to my beach house a hundred and twenty miles north." Robbie explained.

"Y-y-you what?" Tori stuttered, not able to believe what she had just heard.

"It's her house now. They are safe there from him and can start over."

"It's hers now?" Andre asked.

"Mhm. I signed it over to her. The house and my car. I don't need them anymore anyway. I will give you the address and phone number." Robbie said.

"R-Robbie, that's..:" Tori began, tears sliding down her cheeks while Andre stared at him in disbelief.

"As for the issues with the bank, it's no error. I paid off your debt with them and the IRS after I visited you a few days ago. You are off the hook." Robbie finished.

"H-how? Why?" Andre asked, shaking his head while his jaw stayed open.

"It's a little thank you for all those years of friendship. And no, I don't want to hear you say that you will pay me back as soon as possible or anything. I don't need that money. I only want you guys to be happy and have a life without that much stress. It can only do well for the baby." Robbie said as he looked at Andre and Tori.

"Robbie… thank you so much. Is there anything we can do?" Tori asked.

"I have another offer. My company has been reaching out to music producers and bands to create both soundtracks and effects for our productions. It takes a lot of time and work, and it's a nuisance. So if you want, I offer you that my company absorbs your label and you Andre become the president of the then new music department. You would work on our movies and with the musicians." Robbie explained.

Andre only looked at him, jaw dropped and eyes wide while Tori was on the verge of breaking down in tears from the relief. All their problems seem to have disappeared; vanished in the air just like this thanks to one person.

Robbie took out the contract and handed it over to Andre. He began reading it through, his hand trembling with every new page he read.

"Robbie, this is…this is… are you sure?" Andre asked.

"I am. It will benefit all of us. When you sign the contract, I will notify Adam, the vice president of our company, who will contact you and handle the details."

With a shaky hand, Andre signed his name on the dotted line of the contract, his label becoming part of a large production company where he could continue doing what he loved while still providing for his wife and soon to be born baby daughter.

"T-thank you so much." Andre said.

"No problem. I'm glad to have you as part of my company." Robbie said as he got up and offered a handshake. Andre got up and took his hand before pulling him into a big hug.

"Thank you so much man. Thank you." Andre said with a shaky voice, holding back the tears. He let go a few moments later. He turned his head to see Tori standing next to him, tears still running down her cheeks while a smile graced her lips. She slowly hugged him around the chest, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for helping us and for helping Trina. Thank you so much. I will never forget this." Tori said. Robbie hugged her back, his hands gently placed on her back.

"You deserve it. And hey, it's what friends are for." He said.

He stayed at their place until late at night, at Tori's and Andre's wish. He did, as they shared old stories and laughed at their experiences back in high school. Robbie was happy to see the relief on their faces. He knew that he had just taken an enormous burden off of their shoulders. He had one more couple to help out. And he had promised a certain redhead to meet her for dinner. But one more thing made him happy. It was one day less to wait.


	8. Day 8-part 1

The clock struck one in the afternoon when Robbie finally woke up, his head feeling as if he had taken a good beating last night. Truth was, the only things that took a beating were his and Andre's liver, having endured a bottle and half of whiskey and another two of wine. How he got to his hotel room he didn't remember, but he was more than glad to see his phone and wallet lying on the table. He got up, groaning at his headache as he dragged himself to the bathroom.

The cold shower fixed both his headache and his sleepiness, and the finger he pushed down his throat helped him get all the alcohol out of his stomach. After purging and cleaning up, he got out of the shower and got dressed, deciding to go and grab something to eat before he met with Beck and Jade. It was still a long time until he had dinner with Cat, and right now, he was starving.

Robbie got his things and walked out of the hotel, getting into the cab that was waiting in front of the hotel and drove him towards the café. He drank his morning coffee a bit later this time and ate two portions instead of one. He couldn't get the idea out of his mind that he would have dinner with Cat tonight. It shouldn't bother him. It's normal for old friends to have dinner. And it wasn't his idea. He didn't have anything to do with it. Sure, he helped her out, but he didn't want anything in return. It was her who insisted on having dinner tonight. _Nothing will happen. It's just Cat. We will have dinner, talk, that's it. Nothing more. _He thought, trying to push away any other idea that wanted to creep into his mind. He loved only one woman, and that woman was gone. He would meet her in two days, and nothing would change that. Especially not the stupid ideas his best friend is trying to plant in his mind. He and Cat, it can't happen. He loves Annie, and only her. _Cat is only a friend._

Once he was done, he left the money on the table and walked out, deciding to go visit a few places before he met with them.

An hour and half later, he was standing in front of the old building, remembering that the elevator didn't work and he had a nice number of stairs to climb. Five floors later, he was standing in front of their door, tired and breathing heavily. He knocked on the door and stepped back, putting the bags he had been carrying on the floor and waiting for the door to open. A moment later, he heard footsteps from inside walking towards him.

The door opened and Robbie was met by a warm smile.

"Hey, nice to see you! I didn't think you would come and visit us before you depart." Beck said as he stepped forwards and shook Robbie's hand.

"Hey Beck. Well, I wouldn't do that. I took the time and came to visit you guys again." Robbie said.

"What's in those bags?" Beck asked while Robbie picked them up again and began walking inside.

"A surprise for someone." Robbie said with a small smile.

They walked into the apartment where Jade was sitting on the table with Michelle who was happily drawing something while Jeremy was sitting in front of the TV watching some cartoon that was running.

"Hi there." Robbie said, getting Jade's attention while the kids continued focusing on their activities.

"Hi Robbie." Jade said as she picked Michelle off of her lap and carried her to where Robbie and Beck where standing. "I'm glad to see you. Thank you again for helping us last time." She said with a small smile.

"No need to mention it. I already forgot about all that."

"What's in those bags?" She asked, looking at them. He only smiled up as he carried them to where Jeremy was sitting.

"Hey, fella. I see you like the transformers cartoon." Robbie said as he glanced at the TV before looking back at the eight year old.

"Yeah. So what?" Jeremy answered with a snort, not looking at Robbie.

"I guess you come after your mother." Robbie said with a grin. "Do you have any of their action figures and DVD's?"

"Nope."

"Hm. I think you would love to see what's in here." Robbie said as he placed two of the large bags on the couch next to him, finally making him look away from the TV.

"What's that?" He asked, looking at the bag and then at Robbie.

"Open it and find out." Robbie answered.

Jeremy opened the bags and his jaw dropped. Both bags were full with boxes of different action figures and DVD's from the movies and the TV series. He picked up every single box, staring at each in disbelief before putting it down and grabbing the next one.

"I-i-i-is t-this f-f-f" he stuttered, looking at Robbie while holding a DVD set in one hand and a large Optimus Prime action figure box in the other.

"Sure. I'm too old to play with them anyway." Robbie said with a grin before he put the last two bags on the ground and opened them himself.

"Hey, Michelle. Look what I brought you." Robbie said as he emptied the bags, revealing all kinds of dolls and Hello Kitty stuff. "I hope you like it. I got no idea what to get for a four year old girl, so I got what I could find."

"M-mommy put me down." Michelle said as she reached for the dolls. Jade did; both her and Beck looking on in disbelief at what Robbie had just done. Michelle ran towards the dolls and immediately began playing with them and giving them names while Robbie stepped away and walked back towards the stunned couple, a small smile of satisfaction on his lips.

"Rob…" Beck began, but was at a loss of words at that gesture of kindness.

"Hey, stuff like that defined my childhood while I bought all that Hello Kitty stuff to piss you off." He said as he looked at Jade with a smirk.

"Robbie, this is too much." She said, ignoring the last part.

"Nah, come on. It's only a few toys. And hey, while they are playing with them, you two can relax a little bit." He said.

"Kids, what do you say to Mr. Robbie?" Beck said.

"Thank you!" Both said in unison before turning their attention back on everything in front of them.

"Let's sit down. I want to talk to both of you." Robbie said as he turned around and made his way towards the coffee table. They all sat down, Beck and Jade waiting for Robbie to speak up.

"Is it about the script?" Beck asked, a glimmer of hope audible in his voice.

"What script?" Jade asked, looking at her spouse.

"Beck gave me one of your movie scripts. He mentioned that you were still writing them, but didn't have the money to send them out. So I told him I would talk to a friend of mine about it." Robbie explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jade asked, looking at Beck.

"I waited because I knew you would get mad and I wanted a witness to be here, just in case." Beck said with a small smile, but Jade's angry glare didn't disappear. "Sorry."

"Well, you should be glad he did." Robbie said, getting the couple's attention.

"W-wait, do you mean?" Beck stammered, but Rob decided he wouldn't wait for the full question.

"Let me explain first what I do for a living and who that friend of mine is. That friend was no one else but Adam O'Neil, the Vice President of the movie production and distribution company Puppet-masters Studios. And I am the CEO and owner." Robbie explained, watching both Beck's and Jade's eyes grow wide at the piece of information.

"Now, I gave him the script and he read it, since I didn't really have the time to do so, sorry. But, he liked it and suggested we buy off the script. His offer is a hundred and fifty grand." Robbie said.

"W-w-wait. A hundred and fifty grand?" Jade asked, while Beck couldn't utter a single phrase.

"Yes. But that is only the script. I want to…expand that offer. You see, it's always a troublesome procedure, I mean, you guys know that yourselves. Buy a script; find a director, a good crew and all that. Well, I found a way to scratch one of them away on this one. If you accept, I offer you to direct that movie, Jade. You will meet up with Adam, discuss the production costs, locations and all that. Also, I will leave the casting and all that up to you. You would have full creative control on this project. So, what do you say?" Robbie asked, but didn't get an immediate answer. Jade only continued to look at him, no words escaping her throat.

"I-I'm sorry, this is… a lot to absorb. O-of course I would love to direct the movie. I always wanted to do so." Jade finally said after a long pause.

"Well, you guys think about it and then call Adam tomorrow. You can work out all the details with him. And don't be nervous. He might not be the perkiest and prettiest guy out there, but he's a good guy. I'm sure he will make you a great offer. Not to mention, you can cast Beck in one of the roles. Makes a good payday." Robbie said with a smile.

"Thank you so much. I…I never imagined you would…" Beck began, shaking his head in the end in disbelief.

"Well, I guess you guys finally found some good luck. Now, if I can give you one more piece of advice, go find another apartment, a bigger one, and tell the owner of this one to go fuck himself." Robbie said with a smirk.

"We will. And yes, we definitely will tell him that." Beck said with a smile himself, while Jade was still trying to understand what was happening.

They talked a bit longer, Robbie explaining to them how he got to own his own Studio and make it successful and also telling them how Sinjin, Courtney, Tori and Andre would be a part of that company too.

"You see, it's almost like in high school. Only this time, I'm the boss." Robbie joked. "Well, I have to go. I still have dinner with Cat later and want to catch a bit of sleep." Robbie said as he got up. He said his goodbyes with Beck and even the kids, while Jade didn't get up and still didn't say anything, looking away and chewing on her fingernails.

"I wish you guy's good luck. Goodbye." He said as he walked out. But just as he was midway on the staircase between the fifth and fourth floor, he heard someone call his name. He turned around to see Jade walking towards him, a concerned look on her face.

"Yes?" Robbie asked, putting his usual smirk back on.

"Robbie, I want to thank you again for everything. Just… is everything alright?" Jade asked, catching Robbie by surprise.

"Uhm, of course. Why are you asking?" Robbie asked.

"It's just… Tori told me what you did for her, Andre and Trina and Cat told me how you helped her, Sinjin and Courtney. Robbie, what are you doing?" Jade asked, concern filling her voice.

"I'm just helping you out."

"And there is no other reason behind it?" Jade asked.

"No. I just want to help you guys out. We are friends, and you've always been an important part of my life. Even after all these years, I still care. So please, take the chance I gave to you. It's all I can do. And you only have this one life, so make the best of it." Robbie said.

The next thing that happened surprised him. It was something that had never happened before. It was something he never expected to happen. He felt two arms wrap around his neck. Jade was hugging him. Jade West was hugging him.

"Thank you for everything. If you hadn't shown up, we would be on the streets. But now… you gave us that one opportunity. Thank you Robbie." Jade said as the tears freely ran down her face.

"Don't mention it. What else are friends for?" Robbie said. She pulled back a few moments later, a small smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for all that tough time I gave you back in high school. I hope we can start over." She said.

"No hard feelings. Take care of everyone." He said as he turned around and left. He still had dinner with Cat in a few hours, and he grew more nervous by the minute.

**AN:**

**Decided to cut the chapter in half since it would be too long. The second part will be up in two days max. Don't worry. **

**Btw. I have a little story suggestion, or should I say author suggestion. Check out .5851127 's story "Dark love" and her other ones. It's a great, emotional read, and I'm sure you guys will like it. **


	9. Day 8-part 2

Robbie was lying in his bed, his arms lazily under the back of his head while he was staring away at the ceiling. He was still in his hotel room, thinking about whether he should call off the dinner with Cat. He was confused. He was scared. He was confused about what he felt at the moment for the redhead. He was confused about what he would do and say tonight. He was scared of what could happen tonight. And just two days before Annie's anniversary; two days before he would finally and hopefully see her again, he began having doubts. Adam's words echoed in his mind, and his imagination began working, thinking about how a life with Cat would look like. If they could get together? If she might be the cure to his aching soul?

"No. Not now. Not when I'm this close." He told himself, trying to push those thoughts away, but they were persistent. He hated that he was a creative person. He hated that he was an artist because his mind worked quicker than he wanted to. It had already created possibilities he did not want to see. It had already conjured up images he did not want to imagine. He couldn't step away now, not when he was so close.

He took his phone and went through his contacts, stopping at the letter C. He looked at Cat's number, his thumb over the call button. He wanted to call her. To tell her that he couldn't come to the dinner. That something important had happened and he had to call it off. But his fingers wouldn't move. His thumb did not want to go down, no matter how much he wanted it. With a sigh, he let his hand drop on the bed with the phone as he covered his eyes and face with the inner elbow of his other hand. He didn't understand why this was happening now. He had been so sure for almost a year now. Why was he suddenly having second thoughts about everything?

"Screw it. I got nothing to lose anyway." He said to himself as he got up, grabbed his things and left his room before he changed his mind. He saw a taxi park in front of him, the driver giving him a smile. Robbie chuckled, understanding the joke. The driver was the same one who had been driving him around in the last few days.

After half an hour of driving, Robbie arrived in front of Cat's house. He gave the taxi driver a nice tip and walked towards Cat's porch. He stopped in front of the door, feeling the same anxiety he felt the first time he had stood there. He glanced at his watch and saw that he arrived right on time, so he knocked, wanting to get this over with.

The door opened, and Robbie couldn't help but smile at what he saw. In front of him stood Cat, wearing a long, tight white dress that reached a bit over her knees and she had let her red hair fall down in it's full beauty.

"Hey." She said happily as she stepped forwards and hugged him around the neck.

"Hi there. You look gorgeous." He said. He felt unease overcome him when he noticed her blush at his compliment.

"Thank you. You look handsome yourself." She said shyly as she walked back into the house.  
Robbie swallowed his unease and walked inside, following her into the dinning room.

"Please, take a seat." She said as she made her way into the kitchen. He sat down and saw the plates already placed on the seats next to one another. The wine bottle was on the table inside a bucket full with ice and two glasses were right next to it.

"Oh no." He heard her say. He got up and walked towards her kitchen, peeking through the entrance. He leaned with his shoulder on the fridge as he crossed his arms, a smile forming on his lips while he watched Cat trying to find anything edible from the coal colored bird on the table and what he assumed used to be potatoes. He saw her sad pout once she turned around and faced him.

"I-I spent half a day preparing everything. I don't know what happened. I…" She began explaining, but he decided to rid her off the misery.

"How about we order a large pizza?" He said with a smirk, but her pout did not disappear.

"I'm sorry. I ruined the dinner. I wanted to make it special." She said. He walked towards her and put his hand on her arm, giving it a light squeeze.

"Don't worry about it. It's just food. Now let's order a pizza and have that dinner together." He said.

"You aren't disappointed in me?" She asked as she looked at him.

"Never." He answered as he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, making her giggle happily.

They ordered a large pizza, which arrived ten minutes later. Robbie let Cat pay it after she kept insisting; reminding him that he had already spent so much money on others.

They decided to eat it in the living room, since it was more relaxing than all the chairs. After an hour, the pizza was gone and the first bottle of wine was emptied in a long sip by Cat. Both were a bit tipsy already, but not that much. Cat seemed to be able to drink rather well while Robbie had already proven his livers endurance with Andre the night before.

"You live alone in this big house?" Robbie asked as he took another bottle of wine from the cabinet.

"Not all the time. I moved in here with my ex six years ago. But when we broke up, I got the house." She explained.

"You were married?" He asked, surprised.

"Not really married. We were engaged, but things didn't work out well." She said, her good mood fading slowly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." He said as he sat back down.

"It's okay. Do you want to know the story?" She asked.

"If you want to talk about it, of course I do." Robbie said, turning towards her. She took a long sip from her glass and cleared her throat.

"His name was Kevin. We met during an audition for a musical. Things had gone well and after three years, we got engaged. I was so happy with him, but found out one day that he had been cheating on me. Or…well…cheating on his wife with me. The engagement was just something he did so I didn't get suspicious." She explained, finishing the last part with a sigh before she took another sip from her glass.

"I'm sorry. How did you find out?" Robbie asked.

"His wife got suspicious and followed him. She saw him leave my house and came here a few days later. She sat down with me and explained her situation and what she suspected. I was shocked, to say at least. I didn't expect him to lead a double life like that for so long. They had been together for years before he met me. I couldn't believe it. We confronted him and he admitted everything. I haven't seen him since, but I've heard that his wife filled in for divorce." She explained.

"And the house?"

"We got it together. He said we should move in together, since he felt it had become very serious. We bought it after he proposed to me, and we moved in. When his wife and I found out what he had been doing to both of us, he just never showed up again. I've been living here since then." She finished, emptying her glass and filling it up again.

"I'm so sorry, Cat. You didn't deserve what that bastard did to you."

"I know, but it still hurts. Being lied to like that. Being used like that. I really had fallen in love with him. I believed everything he told me. I believed him every time he said that he loved me. That dumb son of a bitch." She said as silent tears slowly made their way down her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry. He is not worth it." Robbie said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly she scooted closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder while holding on to his hand that was now hugging her in a protective manner. Robbie thought about getting up and walking away. He thought about pushing her away, telling her that she should not do that. That he doesn't want that. But he didn't. He only hugged her closer, hoping he could ease her pain.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was over all that, but it seems I'm not." Cat said.

"It's alright. Sometimes, not even time can heal the wounds." Robbie said. Cat looked up at him, surprised at such a statement. It sounded so sure, as if he knew it for a fact.

"Do you know this as a fact?" She asked.

"You know me. Bad luck has been following me forever." He said with a smirk. Cat sat up, moving away from him, her eyes focused on his, as if she was searching for something inside.

"What about you? I don't see you wearing a ring." Cat said, her gaze never leaving the man in front of her.

"I'm not, but I used to." Robbie said.

"You were married?" Cat asked. Robbie only nodded in response, looking away. "Did something happen?"

"Her name was Annie. I met her at a party held by one of my university's clubs. She was so great. Her sense of humor, the way she spoke, the way she treated others. I loved every bit of her." Robbie explained.

"Was…" Cat said, that one word raising a suspicion inside of her.

"She died not a year ago. Her anniversary is in two days." Robbie said.

"Oh my god, Robbie. I'm so sorry." Cat said, placing her hand on his shoulder, not knowing what to do or how to act.

"We got married after getting our degrees. I proposed to her on our fourth anniversary. When she said yes, I was the happiest man in the world. We got married, but I was too absorbed in my work. I opened my business with my best friend and worked night and day to make it work. And finally, when we did it, when business finally became stable, when it became perfect to us, I felt invincible. I felt as if life had finally given me a break. As if it had said 'Hey, Shapiro, we've fucked enough with you. Go, enjoy yourself.' But I was wrong. Two years ago, she complained about headaches. We thought it were migraines, but when she finally went to the doctor…" Robbie stopped, shaking his head and closing his eyes before he took another deep breath. He felt Cat's hand squeeze his shoulder gently. "She had a brain tumor."

"Oh god." Cat said in a love voice.

"They couldn't perform the surgery anymore. The tumor was already too big. So she went to therapies. I got the best doctors the world had to offer, but none could help. Chemo didn't give any results. It only weakened her body. The last two months of her life she had spent in a hospital. I was in denial. Instead of spending every minute with her, I hid myself in work. I was in denial. I hoped it was all another damn joke life decided to play on me."

"Robbie, you don't have to say anymore if you don't want to." Cat said in a shaky voice.

"I watched her die. I was in the hospital next to her, holding her hand and talking to her. She told me to continue living my life. To stay happy, as a favor to her. She was always like that, everybody else was more important than she herself in her eyes. Before I could tell her I could not live without her. Before I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, she suddenly began shaking. I saw her eyes roll back while her heart monitor went crazy before flat lining. I began to panic. I called for the nurse, for the doctors. In a moment, they flooded the room. The nurse pulled me away from the bed, telling me the doctors needed the space. But her heart didn't beat again. She died there, while I was standing just a few feet away. Helpless." Robbie finished, finally looking at Cat again, his eyes red and cheeks wet from the tears he didn't even bother holding back or whipping away. He didn't know why he told her. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe he just needed to let something out of his system. Whatever the reason was, she now knew.

Cat didn't say another word. He looked at her. He saw that she was crying too. He saw all that empathy in her tear filled eyes. She sat down next to him, and wrapped both arms around him.

"I'm here for you. I will help you." She said, before she kissed him on the cheek.

**AN**

**Sorry for updating a day late. I'm writing this with a bad ear infection. My head hurts. My ear is throbbing and I'm trying to hold out without pain killers since I hate those pills. I only hope it didn't have any effect on the quality. **


	10. Day 9

Robbie woke up, looking around his suroundings. He wasn't in his hotel room. He then remembered. He was in Cat's living room, lying on her couch. After last night, she didn't want him to go back to his hotel. She didn't want him to be lonely. And she didn't want to lonely herself last night.

Robbie streched, hearing his joints pop as he lazily yawned. On the table in front of him were four empty wine bottles, all used to drown the sorrow inside the two scared souls. But it didn't work. It only made them honest. Cat completely; Robbie only partially. They had sat there, hugging one another for hours, two broken pillars preventing one another from breaking down completely. An urge rose inside of him, the urge to stay. To be there for her. To help her. To hold her every time she wanted to break. The urge scared him. Anything he felt for her scared him. The more time he spent next to her, the more insecure he became. He wasn't a hundred percent sure anymore about the plan. He wasn't sure anymore about the final part of it.

But there was another urge, fuelled every time he thought about Annie. It was powerful, especially the day before the annyversary. His determination came back the moment he thought of her. The moment he remembered her face. The moment he remembered her eyes. Her smile. He was sure again. But then his mind drifted off to the redhead. To the girl he had dearly missed after all this time. His old high school crush he always had kept a special place for in his heart. He told Annie about her, sharing the old stories and tales of what they had been through and all the weird and funny things they had experienced. Annie seemed to like her, always saying how she would love to meet her one day. But that day would never come. He had imagined it. Annie and Cat talking, laughing together and him enjoying the company of both. But that was a perfection of life he never had. And he knew he could never have that.

He got up and took the empty bottles and glasses. He carried them to the kitchen and put the glasses into the dishwasher while he placed the empty bottles back in the wooden bottle holder, knowing that Cat would either take them back or recycle them. He saw that there were some undone dishes, left from the dissaster of the cooking attempt Cat had made. Robbie threw the uneatable food away and took the plates to the sink. He began scrubbing them, trying to get the burnt in fat off it before the dishwasher could do it's job. After around ten minutes, he was done. Proud of himself, he placed everything into the dishwasher and turned it on. He washed his hands before he turned around, and saw her standing there.

„Good morning." Cat said, a small, sympathetic smile on her face.

„Good morning. I did the dishes. A little thank you for the dinner." He said. She stepped towards him and wrapped both arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

„Thank you." She said, not letting go of him. He hugged her back, pushing away the thoughts he dreaded so much.

„No problem. It's the leas I can do." He said, leaning his head gently on the top of hers.

„Can I ask you for something else. Another favor?" Cat asked shyly.

„Of course. What can I do for you?" He asked.

„If you have the time... I mean if you don't have to leave LA yet, spend the day with me. Let's just hang out. I don't want to be alone." Cat said, her arms still around his neck, his arms still around her smaller body.

„Sure. We can hang out." He said. She looked up at him, a wide smile forming on her lips. He looked down at her. He looked into her brown eyes. Even while they were red from all the crying. Even when she had tearstains all over her cheek. Even when she looked tired and completely drained. Even when she didn't have any make up on and her hair was a mess, she was still so beautiful. She still looked like an angel. She reminded him so much of her. Or was it Annie who originally reminded him of Cat? He didn't know anymore. He didn't want to. He couldn't let anything change his mind. Not now. Not while he was less than 24 hours away from his goal.

„_Just a little bit longer. Hold out." _He thought.

„Thank you." She said, leaning her head back onto his chest for a few seconds longer before stepping away.

„You don't have to thank me. What are friends for." He said. Her smile faded for a moment, and he noticed, but decided to ignore it. He couldn't think about it. He didn't want to think about it. It would only make it worse for him. Only harder for him.

„Yes. You've always been a great friend." She said, looking down.

„Is there anything you want to do?" He asked, not letting silence fill the room. Silence always made him think.

„No idea. I just don't want to be alone." She said.

„Well, what if I got one."

„Huh?"

„Let's go get some breakfast first. Then, I will take you somewhere." He said.

„Kaykay." She happily said.

She got dressed and put on a little bit of makeup. After twenty minutes, she was ready to head out. They made their way towards his favorite cafe, eating calmly and enjoying the silence. It wasn't awkward. It wasn't weird. It felt natural. Just one being close to the other did so much for them. Still, Robbie didn't want to think about what tommorow would do to her. How she would shatter once she hears the news. Once she finds out the complete truth.

An hour later, they decided to leave. Robbie went to the counter to pay, but the owner only rose his hand and shook his head.

„You've been here every day for more than a week now. This one is on the house." The man said with a smile.

„Thank you." Robbie said as he smiled back.

„So? Where are we going?" Cat asked after they left the cafe. A smirk formed on Robbie's lips as he waved for a taxi. He got inside and Cat followed him, suprised when he heard him say to take them to one of the bridges.

They arrived a few minutes later. Robbie paid for the ride and both got out. They walked for a while, Cat enjoying the view on the ocean while Robbie only looked straight ahead.

Cat stopped after a few minutes of walking when she saw what they were walking towards. Ten guys were standing in the middle of the bridge, holding long, rubber bungee cords in their hands while another was sitting behind a box, seemingly writing down the people who sign up for it.

„No." Cat said weakly, looking towards him. Robbie chuckled, taking her hand in his and not stopping until they arrived in front of them.

„Hey guys. How much is a jump." Robbie asked.

„Fifty bucks per person." One of the replied.

„Good. Sign us up. Two jumps." Robbie said. The man nodded while Cat stared at him in disbelief.

„R-Robbie, I don't want to jump." She said in a shaky voice.

„It's safe. I've done it before. You put the harness on and just let yourself fall." Robbie explained, but Cat only shook her head.

„No! I'm scared." She said.

He took both her hands in his and gave them a light squeeze.

„How about this. I will jump first. Then you can decide if you want to do it or not. If you do, I'll take you to get as much ice cream as you can eat." He said with a smile. Her gaze moved towards the lower corner of her eye. She was thinking about it, but the fear was still crushing her. „Watch." Robbie said as he let go of her hands and walked to one of the guys. He gave them a hundred bucks and they put the harness on him. He climbed on the guardrail, facing the water with his back. He handed one of the his glasses and gave Cat a small smile. He then let himself fall down, back first towards the water. He didn't yell, he didn't utter a single sound as the rope streched as much as it could before pulling him back again. After only a few seconds, he was done, hanging upside down from the bridge. The guys pulled him back up, and as soon as they removed the harness he walked back to Cat, his cocky grin not falting for a moment.

„See? It was nothing bad. And you feel so much better once you do it. You feel so alive after it." He said.

„Robbie..." She said in a weak voice.

„Do it for me." He said as he put his hands on her shoulder. Her doubt and fear were replaced with courage at his words.

„Kay. I'll do it for you." She said. She walked towards the men who put the harness on her. Robbie helped her climb the guardrail. She looked dow, frightened at the drop.

„Be brave. Be strong. You can overcome your fear. You can do anything you want to do, Cat." He told her as he held her hand before letting go.

Cat let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and let herself fall. Her scream must have been heard back in the middle of the town, but she did it.

„I did it!" Robbie heard her shout, both pride and surprise present in her voice. He chuckled as the men pulled her up. As soon as she was up, she ran towards Robbie, hugging him as thightly as possible.

„I did it! I did it! I jumped! Robbie, I jumped!."

„I saw. I'm so proud of you. And as promised, we'll go for ice cream now."

„Yay!" She happily yelled, stepping up on her toes and kissing him on the cheek. He smiled at her gesture, wanting to enjoy as much as possible. It was his last day anyway.

The harness was off and Robbie thanked the workers before calling a taxi to pick them up. Cat hugged his arm, holding on to it. Robbie looked at her, surprised by the gesture.

„Don't be fooled, I might have done the jump, but my knees are trembling." She said, making him smile even more.

The taxi picked them up not too long later, and drove them to her favorite ice cream shop. They sat down, the uncomfortable silence seemingly gone since adrenaline was rushing through her body.

„Jumping like this...that feeling... it's amazing." She said as she began eating.

„I know. When I did it for the first time, I had the feeling my head was going to hit the water." Robbie said.

„I had that feeling too. But then it pulls you back up... it was just amazing. Where did you get the idea for that?" She asked.

„I can't take the credit. Adam got me into this deal where he and I would try something crazy once a year. One year it was bungee, the other it was skydiving, which was even better. Every year we would do one of those things that we usually would have been afraid of doing. He always said that we had to expand our horizons and that those things would remind us that we are alive." Robbie explained.

„Wow. Adam sounds like a great guy." Cat says.

„He is." Robbie said. What he didn't mention was how he felt nothing during the jump now. He had tried doing a lot of those things, but it never gave him that rush again like it used to. Truth is, he hadn't felt alive since he found out that Annie was sick.

„I'm so glad you are spending the day with me. I wish we could have hung out more often. Why didn't you call me for so long, or contact me?" Cat asked.

„I... think you know why." He said.

„Because of the graduation party? Robbie..."

„I know, I know... It was a dumb reason, but I couldn't deal with it anymore. I knew that I couldn't have you... that you didn't want us to be together. So I ran away. Like you did after I kissed you that one time." Robbie said.

„Do you know why I ran away that time?" Cat asked, her voice serious.

„Because I kissed you and you didn't want to hurt my feelings with rejecting me. I know you let me do it because you felt bad for screwing up my date." Robbie said.

„Yes, I let you kiss me because of that. Because I felt bad. But when you kissed me... something happened. I...felt something that moment. And it scared me. You were my best friend, and then I felt something I couldn't have felt... something I shouldn't have felt. But I did, and it scared me. I'm sorry for running away, but you shouldn't have done the same after that night." Cat said, her voice filled with regret from the memories.

„You felt something?" Robbie asked. Cat only nodded. „I... I didn't know."

„And I didn't want to admit it to myself. But that was why I kissed you at the party. That was why I told you to come with me to the bedroom. It wasn't alcohol that made me sleep with you that night, Robbie. I wanted to. I wanted to see if what I felt was real. And it was. But... but before I could tell you... you were already gone. You just left, without even saying goodbye." Cat finished, a single tair making it's way down her cheek.

Robbie looked at her, not believing what he had just heard. His inner struggle grew. Both sides became even that moment. His feelings for Cat seemed to come back after every second more he spent with her. He wanted to leave, before it could change his mind even more. But he wouldn't. Not after what she had just told him. He wouldn't run away again. She didn't deserve that.

„I'll take you home." He said. They got up and walked the short distance. Nobody spoke. They didn't look at one another. They just walked, and not too long later, they were standing in front of Cat's home.

„It was nice seeing you again. But I have to go. I...'m leaving LA tommorow." Robbie said, looking down.

„It was nice seeing you too. Thank you again for spending this time with me." Cat said, looking at him.

„Okay. Goodbye." He said as he turned around.

„Robbie." He heard her say. She had taken his hand, holding on to it. „Please, stay a bit longer." She said.

His emotons went crazy at her words. He wanted to get out of there. He had to. What she was doing to him was inhuman. He couldn't take it. He couldn't feel what he felt now. He wouldn't allow himself to. He turned around, to tell her off. To tell her that he had to leave. To break her spirit after he had healed her just this little bit. But then she did something. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and pull him down as she crashed her lips onto his. One side of the battlefield inside his mind went numb that moment, as he picked her up and carried her inside the house, up towards her bedroom. Both landed on the bed, their lips never separating. They both needed this. They both wanted this.

Robbie had felt alive for the first time in two years. He actually had felt something that wasn't anger, sadness, grief or sorrow. He looked at her. She was asleep, lying next to him, the covers thrown over her naked body.

But then his eyes caught something. His gaze landed on the digital clock on the wall. It was what he had waited for a whole year. It was midnight. Today was her annyversary.


	11. Day 10

Robbie kept staring at the clock, the numbers burning into his eyes and into his soul. He swallowed hard; a flood of emotions running through his chest, creating a sensation of pressure on it he was sure would suffocate him. He had been lying there for an hour now, not moving, but only staring at the clock and thinking. He had waited for this day for a year now. A year filled with nightmares, despair, anger, sadness and pain. With so much pain. And now the day has come. It was the anniversary of his wife's death. It was a year ago he had watched the life fade out of her eyes. It was a year ago when he swore he had seen her soul leave her body right in front of him.

But now, something else was there. Something that made this decision harder then it ever had been before. That one person, who had always somehow, someway messed with his life had found it's way back and started messing with it again. That person was lying right next to him. Anger grew in him as he turned towards her. It was her fault. She made him come to dinner two days ago. She made him stay and spend the whole day before with her. She just wouldn't let him leave, even after everything he had done for her; she would not let him leave. She had to raise those doubts in his soul with her mere presence.

But once his eyes landed on her peaceful, sleeping figure; once his eyes landed on her beautiful face, his anger subsided. It was gone, as he slowly let out that breath he wasn't even aware he was holding. He couldn't blame her. He never could. It was Cat. It was his Cat, after all. He was never mad at her. He never had been. He wasn't now. He never would be. It was always he who would keep coming back to her. It was him who could never say no to her. It was him who wanted to see her one more time before that day came. No. He could not blame her.

"I'm sorry." He said as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, careful not to wake her up. The kiss lasted for a few moments, his soul aching at the knowledge that he would hurt her again. That he would leave her for good this time. Maybe things would have been different had he not been a cowards that day. Maybe his life would be better if he hadn't run away from her fifteen years ago. But now it was too late. At least for him.

He got up and dressed, a part of his mind screaming at him to stay. To never leave her side again. But that part couldn't change his decision. Nothing could anymore. He put on his jacket and headed for the door before stopping one last time. He turned around, his eyes again landing on the redhead. He walked back, taking something out of his pocket. It was his wallet. He searched for something before taking out a single picture of him. He put it on the small table beside the bed, wanting to leave her at least something his. He put his wallet away and leaned down, placing the covers on her small body so it reached to her neck. She moved slightly, relaxing into the warmth. He smiled a small, sad smile as he walked around the bed and through the door.

He began walking towards his hotel, his feeling for time and space lost. His legs were finding the way all by themselves, while his mind was preoccupied with holding a single thought straight. He couldn't do this to Cat. If he stayed, she would see him in his true, miserable state, and that is not what he wants for her. That was not what she deserved. He was a lost case. He was a lost soul, and there was nothing anyone could do to help him. It wasn't for the lack of trying. It just didn't work. For some people, there simply are no seconds chances.

He took out his phone, and dialed the familiar number. It was ringing for a few seconds, before the person answered.

"R-Rob?" Adam stuttered, knowing that only one of two things would happen now.

"It's time, old friend. I'm sorry for everything I put you through in the last two years. Thank you for helping me all this time." Robbie said.

"Rob… don't…"

"Please, keep my promises to them. They deserve it. Thank you. I love you." He said before he ended the call and turned off his phone.

Adam starred at the phone in his hand, knowing what was happening. He knew what Robbie would do now. And there was nothing he could do. He let his head hang down, silent tears falling down on the covers.

Rob finally arrived at his hotel, walking straight into his room. He took off his jacket and walked towards his bed. He reached into his suitcase and took out the gun. He checked the clip, the single bullet still in there.

Robbie sat down on the bed, leaning on the wall. He looked at the gun, and pulled the hammer back once, making the bullet slide in. He held the gun against his chest; aiming at the heart he felt beating. His breathing became heavier. His breaths became shorter, as if he was suffocating. He knew that it was his body, knowing that it was in danger. But it didn't matter.

He let his mind go one last time, letting memories flood his thoughts. His family, friends, school, college, colleagues, Annie… and Cat. A tear made it's way down his cheek at the thought what he was doing to her with this. But it's a better option than the second one. It was a better option than her having to endure him for the rest of her life. His depression wouldn't go away. He knew that. He knew that every time he would wake up next to Cat, he was always hope, if even for a single moment, that it was Annie lying next to him. He knew that he could never forget her. He knew that he could never replace her. And as much as he loved Cat, his little redhead, not even she could make the pain go away. Not even she could heal his soul.

He looked up one last time. He saw her again. She was standing in front of him, a sad smile on her face. He knew that she wasn't there. He knew that she wasn't real. But it didn't matter. It only strengthened his resolve. He smiled at the illusion, hoping that he would see the real one again, before he pulled the trigger.

Cat jolted up, something having woken her up from her dreams. Her hand began searching for something on the spot next to her, but it was in vain. He wasn't there anymore. He had left. She saw the picture, his picture, lying on the table. She picked it up, understanding what it meant. He was gone. He would never come back to her. He left her. Again.


	12. Day 12

Cat walked through the ocean of people, her mind lost and her legs carrying her by themselves, as if they knew the way. She hadn't seen so many people at a place for a while now, but she didn't care. Most of them were chatting, probably old friends and colleagues that hadn't seen one another for whatever reason now catching up on each others lives.

She hated funerals and she hated everything about it. The fact that someone had to die for friends and family finally to come together sickened her. She wondered if any of those people had ever shown support to him. She wondered how many of those were just there to be seen at the same place with the actors and directors who had worked together with Robbie and now came to pay him their last respects. She wondered if anyone knew what had been going on in his life. She wondered if anyone even cared.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, the warm touch surprising her. She turned around, a small, glimmer of hope there that it would be Robbie again standing behind her. She knew it was irrational, she knew that it couldn't be him, but she still hoped. She hoped to see him one more time, at least so she could say goodbye to him. So she could tell him everything she never had the courage to say before. So she could thank him for having been there for her all this years. So she could thank him for always coming back to her after all those mistakes she had made that had hurt him. To apologize for all those times she made him look at her be with someone else while she knew he liked her.

"Hey there." Jade said as she looked at her best friend. She didn't say anything else to her. She didn't ask her how she was. She knew that already. She knew that the moment her eyes had met Cat's. It's what all those years of friendship do to you. You know the person better than yourself.

"He left me again." Cat said, her voice near breaking. Jade pulled her into a hug she knew wouldn't do much, but at least it offered Cat a little comfort.

Both walked to where the others were standing. Andre and Beck were keeping it together, Sinjin was lost in his thoughts while Tori was standing next to Courtney, holding her hand since she still was weak, but looked way better and was way stronger then she was before the surgery. They all greeted Cat, knowing that this must hurt her the most. They all had gotten something back, only for it to be taken away from them. They were all together again, the gang reunited under circumstances they wished never were.

After talking to her friends, Cat walked away, needing to find someone else. She made her was towards the chapel where Robbie's coffin was. She never met him before, but was sure she would recognize him if she saw him. She entered the chapel which was empty but for the coffin and one man standing in front of it.

"I'll keep your promises to them. As I promised to you." she heard him say. It was him, no doubt. She slowly walked towards him, listening to him talk to his dead best friend.

"Adam?" She asked. The man turned around.

"Yes?" he asked, thinking it was maybe the rabbi or another guest wanting a private moment in the chapel. But he then saw the red hair, the brown eyes and every detail Robbie had used to describe her. "You must be Cat." He said, a small smile forming on his lips. She only nodded in response. "I'm so sorry." He said, looking away.

"No, I'm sorry. It must have been hard knowing it would happen." Cat said.

"You can't imagine." He answered.

Both sat down on one of the benches. They talked for a while, sharing stories about Robbie and a bit about themselves.

"After Annie had passed away, he changed completely. He stopped caring about work, about everything in particular. I told him to take time off, to take as much as he needed and that I would take care of everything else. He even bought himself a house north from LA, next to the ocean. I was there a few times, it's a beautiful place, but it didn't help much. He kept dreaming about her. He told me how he would dream her death every night and when he woke up, he would see her somewhere. Sometimes in the mirror, sometimes only a silhouette. And then she would disappear again." Adam explained. Cat carefully listened, already knowing that Robbie hadn't told her the whole truth. "So he came up with "the plan" as he called it six months ago. He wanted to see you all, but didn't have the strength or will to face you in the state he was in then. He also decided that life wasn't worth living anymore, at least not to him. However, he found out that most of you guys had issues of some sorts, mostly financial. He decided that, since he couldn't have a second chance at life, he would give it to the people he cared about. So he searched a bit, trying to see what problems you had. He found out about Courtney from a friend of his who works in a hospital and knows her doctor. The rest he decided to improvise, most often calling me up to create the contracts in a matter of hours so he could offer you guys something. I'm sure you heard what he did." Adam finished.

"I did. I knew that there was something behind it. That he did all this for a reason, but I never asked. I was to happy to see him again to question anything." Cat admitted.

"He asked me to help him. He told me how important that was to him and begged me to help him. I told him off at first, but when I saw that he meant it and that he would do it anyway, with or without my help, I promised that I would help him. I tried to talk him out of it a billion times, drove him to shrinks, got him books, anything a desperate man would do to stop his best friend from killing himself. But there was no use. So, I had put all of my hopes in you." Adam said as he looked at Cat.

"Me?"

"Mhm." He said as he nodded. "He spoke often about all of you, but mostly he would speak about you, his little redhead. I think I know every single story and memory you guys shared together. And the way he spoke about you, the way he would always have a small smile while he did... I knew how important you were to him. So I hoped that when he saw you, he would begin doubting his idea. He would change his mind and give himself another chance, for you. But he was too far gone. Nobody could have changed what happened two days ago." Adam said.

"I-I hoped he would stay, too." Cat said, looking towards the coffin. "I woke up that night, for no reason something made me jump out of my sleep. When I saw that he wasn't there anymore; that he wasn't lying next to me, I knew that he was gone for good. I just knew. And then the police called me next day."

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this. If there is anything I can do?" Adam offered, but she only shook her head.

"Don't apologize. There was nothing you could do. And thank you for keeping his word. No matter why he did it, he helped us all when we needed it the most. I want to keep that memory of him." She said.

"I will keep his word. I'll talk to them after the ceremony and will contact them by the end of the month to finalize everything. I think we all need some time to grief. And if there is anything I can do for you, let me know."

"Just help the others. I will be fine." She said.

"I'll leave you with him, then. I'm sure you want to talk to him by yourself." He said as he got up. "I hope I'll get to talk to you again." Adam said as he offered his hand. Cat smiled a small smile as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We'll stay in touch." Cat said, moving back a few moments later. Adam nodded and walked out of the chapel.

Cat turned around, facing the coffin. The lid was closed, possibly to not show the gunshot wound. She walked towards it before she was directly standing in front of it. She put her hand on the lid, glad that it was closed. She didn't want to see his body. She didn't want it to be her last memory of him.

"Something our group of friends was never good with was admitting things to others or showing true affection. We all seemingly expected the other to know, not once bothering giving them a nice word or anything. You were different, though. Despite some dumb things, you used to say, you always had a nice word for all of us, especially me. Whenever I was feeling bad, you were there with kind words and a shoulder to cry on, always telling me that you would be there for me when I needed you. I watched you mature, become more confident in everything, but then I got scared. I got scared of how I felt about the new you. So I did what my teenage mind thought was the best. I hurt you because I was confused. I thought a relationship would only destroy our friendship, and by trying to prevent it, I ruined our friendship. And then you left, because I did something completely different again that one night. I know you felt like I was toying with your emotions, but I never wanted to. I never wanted to hurt you, I swear. But it was me who chased you away. Maybe things would have been different had I not been so dumb. And yet, when I needed you the most, you came back. You again helped me, and I thought I got you back. I thought I got my Robbie back. And then you left again, this time for good." Cat said, not caring about her tears falling down on the coffin. "Thank you for coming back." She said as she moved her hand away and walked back to sit on the bench. She had been there for hours, before the ceremony started.

The rabbi did the usual routine while Jade and Tori were sitting next to Cat, Jade having her arm around Cat's shoulder, gently rubbing her upper arm while Tori was holding her hand, both wanting to comfort her as much as possible. Adam wasn't standing next to the bench, his arms crossed, his eyes focused on the coffin and his mind gone somewhere else.

After the ceremony was over, the gang plus Adam met at Andre's and Tori's house, deciding to spend the rest of the day and the night there. They insisted on Adam coming with them, knowing he had been through hell himself. They spent the whole night sharing memories they had with Robbie, especially Adam who had told them things they had never heard off. But Cat was silent the whole time, only listening. Everyone tried to comfort her as much as possible, Jade not leaving her side once. But one thing was true, and they all agreed on it. Robbie gave them a second chance, and they would use it to the fullest. Just to honor him.

And they did. Adam kept his word, and every promise Robbie made was held. Jade's movie was a success, securing her a job as director. Naturally, Beck was one of the actors she had casted for the movie. He did a great job, and the actor who couldn't wouldn't be given anything above an extra had new offers thrown at him from all sides. Andre worked hard in the sound department, using all his talents and skills to create the soundtracks. Everyone loved working with him, since he always seemed to know what melodies were necessary to capture the full strength of the scenes. Tori gave birth to a healthy boy, making the family only happier. Sinjin was in charge for props and costumes, being a natural at what his job. Courtney made a full recovery and used all her new found strength in making Adam keep his appointments and reminding him of every detail. It took a great deal of work away from the new owner of Puppet-masters records, Robbie having left him a major part of his stock. Trina began a new life, just as Robbie wished she did. She wrote a book about abuse in relationships, offering all her experience to others who are in a similar spot she was in. As Robbie asked him to, Adam made sure that Trina and her kids were alright, not wanting them to worry about anything else after what they had been through.

He also left two things for Cat. One was ten percent of stock share in the company, providing her with a financial security she never had imagined. The other one was a box, full of things he had kept since Hollywood Arts. They didn't have any true value but carrying so many beautiful memories they had shared. She didn't know he had kept those things. As she searched through the box, she found one more picture of them, both wearing their graduation gowns, Robbie's arms safe around her, a wide smile on both faces. She placed the picture next to her bed, sometimes even talking to it, hoping that he maybe could even hear her.

She missed him, but didn't let any dumb idea that got into her mind overtake her. It would only taint what he had done for her. She knew that he wouldn't want her to do anything like that. She would be happy again. She owed him that much.

The end.


	13. Author's note

Oh my, forgot my traditional author's note for this one. Sorry for the delay.

As always, you have my gratitude for reading the story and reviewing. It is always such a great feeling when I get an e-mail saying how somebody either added it under their favorites, followed or reviewed. Thank you all for sticking with the story.

A major influence has been the movie "7 pounds", one of my favorites. The scene with Robbie and Trina was directly taken from it, a way of me paying tribute to it.

I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Yours truly, Djuro.


End file.
